Union Co. Supervisors, 8-6-18: Business & internet taxes, poll worker pay

The Union County Board of Supervisors moved briskly through a 35-item agenda Monday morning, August 6, in about 45 minutes.

A request from a retail store for a reduction of its personal property tax assessment resulted in more discussion than any other agenda item. An entity named Specialty Retailers, Inc. owns a ready-to-wear clothing store located near Walmart. Specialty Retailers operates retail stores under various names, including Goody’s, Peebles and Stage. Specialty asked that its personal property tax assessment be lowered by $23,000. Businesses pay personal property taxes on furniture, fixtures, etc.

Union County Tax Collector and Assessor, Tameri Dunnam, told the board Specialty Retailers had already been granted a reduction in its personal property assessment. She said the owners are not local. The board voted unanimously to leave the assessment as it is.

The Union County Election Commission asked the supervisors to increase the pay of poll workers by $25 per day. Commissioners Bill Azlin and Wes Creighton were present. Circuit Clerk Phyllis Stanford told the county board that Union County election workers are currently paid $100 for a 14 hour day, from 6 am to 8 pm. She said that Marshall and Desoto counties both pay poll workers $125 per day.

According to Stanford, from 80 to 130 poll workers are needed for each Union County election. The number varies depending on the type of election and anticipated voter turnout. She said that Union County typically spends $12,000 each election for poll workers. The supervisors took the requested pay increase for poll workers  under advisement.

The board considered a request to accept Sarah Grace Lane and Samuel Lane in North Oak Subdivision, Phase III, as county roads. District Four Supervisor, Randy Owen, and District Two Supervisor, Chad Coffey, were appointed to make an on-site evaluation of the roads in question. Owen and Coffey were also asked to inspect Brittany Lane for possible acceptance as a county Road. The board is expected to give the requests further consideration at a future meeting.

The board approved a resolution asking the Mississippi State Legislature to divert money from the tax on interstate internet sales to county governments. Supervisor Randy Owen said the Three Rivers Planning and Development District is working on getting the legislature to comply with request.

The board approved registration fees and lodging of $495 each for Tiffany Erby, Brandon Grisham, Kenneth McKeown, Blake Smith and Curt Clayton to attend a 911 dispatching seminar October 9-11, in Tunica, MS.

The board conducted other routine business including:

• Approving the Claims Docket (paying the bills) for July 2018 claims.
• Approving board minutes for July meetings.
• Approving the Solid Waste Register.
• Approving bailiff pay.
• Approving Circuit Clerk fees.
• Approving pay for Election Commissioners.
• Approving Medical Examiner fees for 16 cases.

The Union County Board of Supervisors recessed and will meet again on Monday, August 20.