During the second week of January, all of the members of the Adams County Board of Supervisors, the county administrator, chancery clerk and board attorney attended the annual Mississippi Association of Supervisors Mid-Winter Legislative Conference in Jackson. The overall purpose of this conference has both educational and legislative benefits as it relates to county government.

One of the first seminars presented was on the topic of ad valorem (Latin for according to value). The presenter was Janet Blaird of Mississippi State University an expert on taxes. She discussed the various classes of taxes that are germane to county government, how to calculate assessments, the formulas of calculating millage, calculations of homestead exemption, homestead exemption reimbursements with county specificity and the overall role county supervisors play in levying taxes and assessments.

The next seminar was on personnel administration by Gary Fried, Esquire with Phelps Dunbar, LLP. His discussion was primarily on county personnel policies, proper ways to hire and terminate employees, drug testing, etc. He used many case studies to help board members understand proper and legal protocols as they relate to county employees.

The third presentation was by an old friend of mine, Rhuel Dickinson, the county administrator of Simpson County and former auditor with the State of Mississippi Auditor’s Department. Rhuel presented financial administration (proper preparation of county budgets). Rhuel primarily focused on state deadlines that are associated with the preparation of budgets, advertising proposed budgets, adoption of budgets and publication of both adopted and amended budgets. He reviewed various funds in the budgets and restrictions on the funds, along with a long list budget issues.

One of the major topics was on garbage, presented by Michael Caples, Esquire with Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens and Cannada, PLLC. Michael, whom I’ve known a very long time, is an expert in environmental law. Michael presented the law on garbage from A through Z and the role counties play in collecting garbage, assessing the cost, exemptions, Department of Environmental Quality regulations, collecting garbage fees and proper disposal of garbage. And, yes, he was presented with many questions from the members of the association.

Another important presentation was on bonds by Sam Keys, Esquire with Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens and Cannada, PLLC. Sam talked about the various types of bonds issuance counties can utilize, restrictions on certain types of bonds, specificity of use of bonds, types of guarantees on bonds, proper publication of proposed issuance, length of bonds and much more information on the topic of bonds.

During this conference, we as members of the association had to vote on proposed legislative bills that related to counties all over the state. Some of these legislative issues related to state aid road and bridge programs, rural fire truck programs, beaver control programs, homestead reimbursement for counties and unfunded mandates.

We, of course, discussed these issues with legislators both collectively and individually. These issues are very important to counties all over the state, and we in Adams County benefit tremendously from these programs (we have many state aid roads and bridges in our county, without this program we would have many substandard roads and bridges).

Finally, we had the opportunity to meet with the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, speaker of the house, state treasurer and the local legislative delegation that represents Adams County.

Another important facet of this conference was the networking with other counties, the sharing of ideas that work and don’t work in their counties.

The county administrator and county attorney had their workshops at concurrent sessions.

 

Darryl V. Grennell is the president of the Adams County Board of Supervisors.