By Billy Davis

Panola County Sheriff Hugh “Shot” Bright rejected an attempt to remove two salaries from his budget, saying he needed the positions filled in order to qualify for a federal grant. 

“I don’t think I’m for that,” Bright responded when County Administrator Kelley Magee advised supervisors Monday to amend the sheriff’s budget to reflect the savings.

“We’re short-handed,” the sheriff continued. “I thought we were going to leave it in there and not use it.”

Magee, following direction from supervisors, is on an ongoing mission to trim the county’s tight budget to ensure county government has a cushion at the end of the fiscal year. She reported last month that trimming the budget in various departments would save $487,923.

She also suggested, with Bright present, that dropping the pilot’s salary from the sheriff’s budget would save $42,000 yearly.

The sheriff’s department has the largest budget in county government, followed closely by the road department.

Bright has not told supervisors how he plans to trim his budget, instead telling them at a recent board meeting in Sardis that public safety demanded that he not make any cuts.

The sheriff’s chief deputy, Otis Griffin, later said at the meeting that he would work with the sheriff to study the current budget.

Magee’s proposal on Monday was apparently a follow-up to her March report. She also asked supervisors to amend the circuit clerk’s budget to reflect an employee who dropped to a 32-hour workweek.

But supervisors also said last month that they were asking department heads to carefully watch their budgets – not attempting to reduce their budget dollars.

“We said we would not take the money out,” board president Gary Thompson, responding to Bright, said Monday.

“We said to leave it in there and try not to use it,” added Supervisor James Birge.

But the sheriff also revealed that the two open slots must be filled in order to qualify for a COPS grant, a federal program of the Department of Justice. The COPS grant pays the full salary of a law enforcement officer, but the salary funding is reduced over the next two years and borne by local authorities.

“I want five (deputies), but I’d be happy with two or three,” Bright said.

That disclosure then led to dialogue between Bright, who had said minutes earlier he would not spend the funds, and Thompson, who had just come to the sheriff’s defense.

“You just said you would not take the money out,” Thompson said.

“I hate to miss that free money,” Bright replied, referring to the federal grant.

“Does that free money have strings attached?” Thompson asked rhetorically. “You must keep the man at the end of three years.”

“Burglaries are up. Crime is up,” Bright responded.

“And money is down,” Thompson replied.

If the sheriff’s department qualifies for five deputies, the cost would be $150,000 to keep them, Thompson also said.

Supervisors also asked Bright if he planned to hire a second pilot. The sheriff replied that the pilot was hired as a “certified part-time deputy” and his replacement would meet that qualification. 

Bright then brought Griffin, who said he’s working on the COPS grant, into the boardroom. Griffin further explained that the sheriff’s department must fill its slots to qualify for the program.

Supervisors eventually voted unanimously to allow Bright to keep the salaries in his budget, effectively turning down Magee’s suggestion to amend the budget.