With the new year rolling in, there will be a few changes in the Carroll County Northern District Justice Court.
At Monday’s meeting in Carrollton, the board hired Karen Carter to serve as the new Justice Court Clerk. Carter comes to the board from Montgomery County, where she has served as Justice Court Clerk for 21 years.
Before joining the county, Carter served as an interim clerk to assist the county in their search for a new clerk.
The board also voted to hire Judy Hayes-Brown as deputy court clerk for both judicial districts in Carroll County and to hire Courtnee Austin as sanitation clerk, replacing Hayes-Brown.
Carter’s hire is effective Jan. 18, Hayes-Brown’s hire is effective Feb. 1, and Austin’s hire is effective immediately, contingent upon her acceptance of the job.
The board also re-appointed Frances Williams to Southern District Justice Court Clerk. Williams was serving as interim Justice Court Clerk for the county.
Neill said Carter told him that Williams sometimes will reach out to her to step her through things and the two already have a working relationship. He said the goal is for all three of the women – Williams, Carter, and Hayes-Brown to work together.
The board also discussed re-districting. Circuit Clerk Durward Stanton told supervisors that the Stennis Institute usually redraws the district lines for the county, if necessary. He said he was able to contact someone at Stennis Institute and they are willing to work through the numbers to see if the county even needs to redistrict.
“There’s nothing wrong with the lines, leave them like they are,” Supervisor Dill Tucker said.
Board Attorney Kevin Horan explained that if a beat’s population had grown to ten percent more than the smallest beat in the county, then the board would be required to redistrict. While supervisors’ beats may not fall within the parameters requiring a redistricting, the county still needs to file the paperwork.
Resident Charles Humphries asked the board to set goals and objectives for the $20 million that was budgeted for this year back in August and place a list of those proposed expenditures in the newspaper. He said people should know what the board are as a whole, not beat-by-beat.
The board also:
Approved e-appointing Jim Neill as president, Claude Fluker as vice-president, Casey Carpenter as comptroller and assistant purchasing clerk, Rogan Jackson as bookkeeper and assistant comptroller, Ken Strachan as Civil Defense/E911 coordinator and Emergency Management director, Jake Hurst as Fire coordinator, George Gillespie as assistant director of Civil Defense/E911 coordinator and assistant director of Emergency Management, Sherry Blaylock as purchasing clerk, Monica Jones as receiving clerk, Durward Stanton as Inventory Control clerk and assistant clerk of Receiving. All appointments are for one year. Supervisor Josh Hurst recused himself from the vote on Jake Hurst.
Approved to rehire all employees at present salary until further notice.
Approved Board Order approving fees for Chancery Clerk Casey Carpenter
Approved to close all offices on Monday, January 17, in observance of Martin L. King Jr. and Robert E. Lee birthdays.
Approved contact between Sheriff Clint Walker and Warden Brandon Smith.
Approved to appoint all supervisors to the North Central Planning and Development Board.
Approved to purchase a backhoe in a reverse auction from Stribling Equipment.
Approved Jimmy Ware to do remove rotten board at the back of and to replace tin on the roof of the Sheriff and Tax Assessor’s offices.
