Sardis board learns of departure of city clerk, public works chief

By Rupert Howell
The Sardis board of mayor and aldermen officially learned Wednesday the loss of two top employees due to relocation during a special called meeting where they also dealt with several end-of-fiscal-year chores.
City Clerk Mary McDowell and her husband, Bubba McDowell, who serves as the city’s public works director, plan to relocate to Amory where their son-in-law is opening an insurance business and maybe more importantly, where their grandchildren will be.
Sardis Mayor Billy Russell after the meeting lamented the impending departure, saying the pair had been a blessing to him in his position as mayor, “Making my job easy.”
He agreed that losing two is what happens when family members such as husband and wife are hired.
“But wasn’t it great while they were here,” Alderman-at-large Roy Scallorn added.
Board members voted to pay the McDowells the maximum amount allowable by law for unused vacation days when they depart after the first of December.
A motion to advertise the open positions to the public by Alderman Bonnie Smith died for lack of second. Smith later said she wasn’t going to try to tell the board who to hire, but noted she thought the hiring process should be open to all interested citizens.
Smith, Scallorn, as well as aldermen Jojo Still and Tommy Rayburn, attended Wednesday’s meet with only Clarence “Boo Boo” Jones unable to attend due to an employment commitment.
Aldermen also approved Sardis Chamber of Commerce requests for payment for expenses incurred, cemetery gate and fence expenses and payment into the Public Employees Retirement System for a part-time employee who is now full-time.