Mileage quest

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, July 20, 2011

By Billy Davis

While some of their challengers promise to give up in-county mileage reimbursement if elected, some county supervisors — and some challengers — say reimbursement is a standard part of the job.

Panola County government pays monthly mileage reimbursement to the Panola County Board of Supervisors after supervisors submit mileage information to detail travel in a private automobile.

Panola’s reimbursement rate, which follows the state of Mississippi’s pay scale, is 55 ½ cents a mile, according to Chancery Clerk Jim Pitcock.

Supervisors voted July 5 to raise the reimbursement five cents, from 50 ½ cents, after the state increased its reimbursement, he said.   

Election-year talk about giving up mileage reimbursement amounts to “campaign promises” to get elected, said Board President Gary Thompson.

“The telephone company didn’t ask me to pay for my gas to go fix a phone,” said Thompson, who retired from BellSouth after he was elected.  

Thompson also pointed out that his role as board president requires him to serve on various boards, which requires frequent travel.

“People think we just go to two board meetings a month. That’s just not true,” he said.

Thompson, now seeking a second four-year term, is facing three Democratic opponents in the August 2 primary, Robert “BB” Lee, Donnie Shaw and John Thomas.

The winner of the primary will face independent candidate Boyce Crowell and Republican Monty Thomas in the November 8 General Election.

Among Thompson’s challengers, Thomas also defended mileage reimbursement when he participated in a Panolian questionnaire submitted to supervisor candidates.

Thomas wrote, “If a county employee uses his or her own personal automobile for county business, then they should be reimbursed. That is the standard business practice.”

Thomas also suggested requiring “adequate documentation” that would prevent “fraud, waste and abuse.”

Shaw, in his written answers, suggested that supervisors’ salaries are adequate to pay for in-county travel. Supervisors are paid $40,400 annually.  

Both Thomas and Shaw suggested that supervisors should not be provided a county-owned automobile to fulfill their duties.

Along with incumbent Thompson, Shaw and Thomas were the only District 3 challengers to participate in the questionnaire, which publishes Friday, July 22 in The Panolian.

Among other challengers who participated in the election tabloid, the following candidates said they would reject in-county reimbursement: David Arnold, who is running in District 1; Phil Herron and Michael Simon, who are running in District 4; and Cole Flint, who is running in District 5.

District 1 supervisor candidate Tim Holliday wrote that supervisors should decide which is more cost effective, county trucks or mileage reimbursement.

District 2 supervisor candidate William Pride defended mileage reimbursement in his questionnaire, which included one of the longest, in-depth answers on the topic.

“…the practice in place now of unlimited mileage and/or unlimited reimbursement needs to be stopped,” Pride wrote. “It needs a reasonable cap on it — not ‘anything goes’ like it is now.”

District 4 supervisor candidate Jarrell Mills wrote that the public does not favor the mileage reimbursement and suggested supervisors should address the issue.  

Chris Brocato, another District 5 supervisor candidate, suggested that the Board of Supervisors should limit the use of mileage reimbursement.

Among other incumbents, District 5 Supervisor Bubba Waldrup also defended the mileage reimbursement.

“I feel like we need to be reimbursed some,” he said. “It just doesn’t need to be abused.”

“I will say that we make good money for the job we do,” added Waldrup, who is seeking re-election to a third term.   

Waldrup also said the Board of Supervisors should require a deadline for submitting mileage each month.  

District 4 Supervisor Kelly Morris told The Panolian he would support banning in-county mileage.

“I could do away with it,” he said.

Morris, who is seeking a second term, pressed for supervisors in 2008 to park their trucks at the county courthouse. His motion died for lack of a second but three years later only one supervisor, Vernice Avant, still has a county truck.

After his motion failed, Morris inherited a truck from the previous supervisor before giving it to the road department that same year.

Thompson had supported the idea of parking the trucks at the county courthouse but said he changed his mind shortly before taking office. He was issued a truck after he took office but gave it up in 2009 to flood plain manager Michael Purdy.

Birge gave up his county truck to the road department in April after The Panolian reported in February he had logged more than 40,000 miles on the truck in a year’s time.

Waldrup said he swore off a truck in 2004 and has yet to regret it. “There’s too much controversy,” he said.