The Choctaw Plaindealer

The Choctaw County Board of Supervisors approved the FY 2008-2009 budget in their Aug. 26 meeting. The fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

Choctaw County has a total budget of $8,716,061 for the fiscal year. Of that budget $4,021,355 is the general fund budget.

The county's total budget revenue is $8,716,061 of which an estimated $1,912,500 is expected be raised through the tax levy.

Don Threadgill, Chancery clerk, said the tax levy is approximately 23 percent of the total county budget. He said the bulk of the tax levy funds the operations of the General Fund and the supervisors' road funds. The county's taxes did not change.

Threadgill said the top three single sources of revenue for the county are in-lieu taxes from Choctaw Generation $2,150,000, in-lieu taxes from Choctaw Gas $1,215,673 and the tax levy $1,912,500.

The county's total budget expenditures are $8,716,061. Threadgill said the top three expenditures are the Board of Supervisors estimated $775,107, Sheriff Department estimated $670,000 and the supervisors road funds estimated $1, 255,844. The Board of Supervisors and the Sheriff Department expenditures come out of the General Fund.

Supes discuss possible local emergencies

Preparing for an emergency, such as Hurricane Gustav, was on of the topics during the Choctaw County Board of Supervisors meeting, Sept. 2.

Steve Montgomery, emergency management director, asked the supervisors if they knew of anything the county needed to do to prepare for a natural disaster, such as a hurricane.

The board discussed generators and making sure all county barns, water associations and other important buildings had the same generator hookups.

Montgomery said the county needs to develop a plan to have ice in case of a major disaster in Choctaw County. The board discussed several options.

Thomas Higgins, District 4 supervisor, asked Montgomery where are the emergency shelters in Weir. Montgomery said area churches would serve as shelters then the Choctaw County Community Center. He had the Choctaw County Schools would serve as shelters as a last resort.

On Friday, Aug. 29 the board declared Choctaw County as a local emergency in case the area received damage from Hurricane Gustav. The board discussed if they should end the local emergency proclamation or leave it for another week in case of possible tornadoes.

After a discussion, the board decided to leave the proclamation in effect for now.

Don Threadgill, Chancery clerk, presented the board with a quote from Watkins, Ward and Stafford to provide the county's financial statements to the Mississippi Audit Department.

Threadgill said the county is required by the Department of Audit to provide financial statements.

"Audit (Department) can do it but they charge more money, and it will be a finding in the audit report," said Threadgill.

"Just for your consideration and something we have to do."

He said by having another company to prepare the financial statements, it would prevent a finding in the audit report and reduce the cost of the audit.

Watkins, Ward and Stafford has done the county's audit for the last two years.

The board approved to hire Watkins, Ward and Stafford to prepare required financial statements.

In other board business, the board:

€ Discussed and approved the 2008-2009 tax levy.

€ Recognized the Grand Jury report.

€ Amended a contract with NRCS to extend the grant contract to Sept. 30. District 3 Supervisor Chris McIntire abstained from the vote.

€ Approved a claim from Watkins and Eager for $15,500 for beginning the process of establishing a Lake Board for the Lake Project. McIntire abstained from the vote.

€ Recognized the Town of Weir is part of the Choctaw County Mitigation Plan.

€ Approved a claim from Marty Crowder, for work done on the Hebron Road bridge project.

€ Hired Joe Griffin as part-time board attorney from Sept. 1, 2008-Dec. 31, 2009. Griffin retired earlier this year and had to be rehired after 45 days.

€ Deleted a Homestead Exemption by request of Lynn Ray, tax assessor/collector.

€ By request of Sheriff Cloyd Halford to hire Ed Fiebig as part-time deputy. Fiebig retired earlier this year and had be rehired after 45 days.

€ Claim from Renrock Construction for clearing and grubbing at the Ecoplex for $17,285.71.

€ Claim from Marty Crowder for engineering work performed on the clearing and grubbing at the Ecoplex for $12,180.