The Choctaw Plaindealer

Choctaw County Supervisors ended July business with motions on E-911, fire rebate funds, and jail housing and began August business by accepting a bid on a garbage truck and granting Ackerman Forge a tax waiver.

During the final meeting of supervisors for July, the board approved a motion to have all Emergency 911 calls dispatched from the Sheriff's office. In the past the Sheriff's office would dispatch to CCMC and it would respond to the call. However if all the ambulances were out on a call and were unable to respond to incoming calls, CCMC would find a backup responder. Now the Sheriff's office will be responsible for dispatching to a different hospital if all CCMC emergency vehicles are occupied.

Supervisors believe cutting out one of the steps and having the calls dispatched from the Sheriff's office will decrease the emergency services response time.

In this meeting the Supervisors decided how to disperse the Fire Rebate and Insurance funds it was awarded in late June. Choctaw County was awarded approximately $36,000 in fire rebate and insurances funds.

Typically the supervisors agreed to divide up the money into pro-rata shares between each of the Volunteer Fire Departments within the county. The money may then be spent by each of the VFD, but may only be spent on specified items. Those items may include equipment or machinery needed by the fire department, including fire suits, jaws of life, and hoses among other items. The limitation on how the fire rebate money may be spent also requires each VFD to fill out paperwork documenting how the money was spent.

To eliminate the amount of paperwork required by each VFD, the Supervisors decided to give each department a total of $3,500 from the County's general fund. The $3,500 given to each VFD will be less any debt service it has with the county.

The Supervisors will currently retain the money received from the fire rebate and insurance commission, and will eventually put that money toward the county's debt service for fire trucks recently purchased.

According to Don Threadgill, Chancery Clerk, the county has at least four if not five fire trucks in a debt service. Once the new Town of Ackerman truck arrives it will have an additional truck to add to that debt service.

He explained, giving the VFD funds from the general account will help cut down on the amount of paperwork being filled out and will also help the county work on decreasing its debt service for fire trucks.

The daily cost of housing inmates at the Choctaw County Sheriff's Department was the also on the agenda for final July Meeting. The Supervisors passed a motion allowing the Choctaw County Sheriff's office to charge a fee $ 14 per day for each inmate housed at the jail to each town inside the county. Meaning if the Weir, Ackerman, or French Camp Police Department arrest a suspect and house for any period of time, the CCSO may only charge the arresting police department $14 per day for a housing an inmate.

Supervisors opened up the first meeting for August with a bid opening for 2007 model garbage trucks.

They accepted the bid from Water's Truck and Tractor of $58,209.11 per truck. The supervisors passed a motion to purchase two garbage trucks at this price from Water's Truck and Tractor. This price includes only the truck. The supervisors will advertise for body part of the garbage trucks at a later date.

During the first monthly meeting they also passed a motion granting Ackerman Forge a ten-year ad velurom tax exemption exclusive to school taxes.

The next meeting of the Choctaw County Supervisors is on Monday August 21, where they will hold a public hearing for the upcoming budget.