The search for a veteran service officer continues. After several tries, neither Carroll nor Montgomery County has nailed down a person that is willing to accept the position.
Chancery Clerk Casey Carpenter asked supervisors if they had any ideas of who would be a perfect fit for the position. Supervisors said they didn’t have an idea at the moment.
Carpenter said he’s been in touch with Montgomery County. He said that Montgomery County gave him the name of a potential candidate but said the man works full-time so they weren’t sure.
Supervisors agreed the issue is finding someone that’ll be willing to take the position, with the requirements.
“There are a lot of restrictions on it,” Supervisor Dill Tucker said. “One they [the applicants] found out what it is, they don’t want it anymore.”
According to Senate Bill 2165 from the 2021 Mississippi Legislative session, “County veteran service officers shall be honorably discharged or honorably released veterans in which the Armed Forces of the United States have been, are or shall be committed for action; the surviving spouse or child of any such deceased veteran; or any person employed as a county veteran service officer in any county of this state on March 30, 1990.
From and after July 1, 1990, county veteran service officers shall be certified by the Mississippi State Veterans' Affairs Board which, among any other criteria it may establish, shall require such officers to attend one of the annual training programs provided for such officers by the Mississippi State Veterans' Affairs Board, successfully complete a written examination each year on the duties and responsibilities of and assistance available to such officers and veterans, have certification and be accredited according to 38 CFR Section 14.629 administered by the Mississippi State Veterans' Affairs Board, and (d) follow the rules and regulations promulgated by the Mississippi State Veterans' Affairs Board. County veteran service officers who annually receive and complete such instruction in a manner satisfactory to the Veterans' Affairs Board and in accordance with this section shall be certified by the board.
No county veteran service officer shall be entitled to receive any compensation for his services, to which he is otherwise entitled by law, unless he is annually certified by the board. County veteran service officers may be employed, in the discretion of the boards of supervisors, either full time or part time.”
Also, the board discussed the justice court clerks’ overtime compensation. Carpenter said the clerks had prior overtime compensation that had not been approved by the Supervisors. If the clerks have overtime compensation, it must be approved by the board.
“I was under the impression that we weren’t going to have this issue anymore,” Supervisor Rickie Corley said.
Carpenter said there are times the clerks will have overtime compensation.
“If something happens and the judge calls them in, the judge has 48 hours to get that done,” Carpenter said. “So, they may be called in on a Saturday.”
Supervisors agreed they were willing to pay for the clerk’s time when they have to be called in, but they were not willing to pay the clerks for working through lunch.
“I’m not in favor of it at all,” Corley said. Fluker asked Carpenter to go through and separate the clerks’ time when they were called in by the Justice Court judges and when they worked through lunch, and the board would decide what to pay for and what not to pay for.
“I think if the judges are the ones to call them in, they need to sign something approving it,” Carpenter said. “Then, send it to us and y’all approve it. That’s just my opinion though.”
The board tabled the matter until their Monday, August 1 meeting in Vaiden.
