County supervisors elect  president, vice-president 

New Albany, MS– During its first meeting of the year 2017, the Union County Board of Supervisors elected new officers for the coming year.

The action was consistent with a policy the newly elected board announced during its first meeting on Monday, January 4, 2016, under which the presidency of the board would rotate year-to-year during the four-year term. Four of the five supervisors sworn in January 2016 were new members. Four of the five previous supervisors had either retired or had been defeated in party primaries.

The first action during the Tuesday, January  3, 2017, meeting came when Randy Owen resigned as president of the board.  Owen remains the District Four Supervisor.

Next Dave Kitchens, board vice-president for the last year, was unanimously elected president. Kitchens represents District Three

Then District Five Supervisor Steve Watson was unanimously elected board vice-president for the coming year.

Under the plan announced January 2016, Watson would become president in January 2018, and District One Supervisor Evan Denton will move up to board vice president. County supervisors in Mississippi are elected from geographic districts, also sometimes called “beats.” The voters do not vote directly for the board president, who is elected by and from the board itself.

Next at its January 3rd meeting, the reorganized county board approved the claims docket and the minutes of its December 2016 meetings.

The board then approved the “solid waste adjustment register,” the county road department schedule for January, bailiff pay, and medical examiner fees.

County Fire Commissioner Steve Coker, who is also New Albany Fire Chief, asked the board to approve a manual check for $1,445 for repair of a Northeast Fire Department truck, on which emergency repairs were made during the holiday season. The board also approved payment of $3,560, which pays the annual dues of county fire fighters to the Mississippi Fire Fighters Association.

The board approved the Union County Emergency Management Comprehensive Plan.

Longevity raises for three sheriff’s department employees were approved, as was a pay increase for the Deputy Clerk of the Justice Court.

Previously received bids for the supply of commonly used products were approved for 2017.

All county board members were expected to leave later in the day Monday for the annual supervisors meeting in Jackson.

The county board will next meet at 10 a.m. on Monday, January 23rd.