By Rupert Howell
Supervisors voted 4-1 to purchase District One Supervisor James Birge a new pickup to the tune of $32,640 with board president Cole Flint voting against the measure at a recess meeting Monday in Batesville.
District Two Supervisor Vernice Avant is the only supervisor that currently uses a county owned vehicle.
Following Monday’s meeting, Flint told a reporter, “I don’t think it’s a good idea. The last time it (a county pickup used by Birge) was used improperly,” Flint said.
Birge gave up his county owned pickup in April of 2011, an election year, after it was revealed the odometer registered 42,330  miles in the 2009-2010 fiscal year according to Fuel Man refueling records.
A news story written by former Panolian reporter Billy Davis stated that  Birge averaged 814 miles per week and 16,200 more miles during the year than the next closest total that included the road managers and assistant road managers.
In contrast, Supervisor Avant averages less than 6,000 miles per year in a 2008 model Ford F-150.
The low bid for the pickup came from Heafner Motors with the next bid totaling $38,180 from Jimmy Gray Chevrolet.
Supervisors also discussed the purchase of a vehicle for the new bomb-sniffing canine purchased through South Panola School District.
Chief Deputy Sheriff Chris Franklin noted the school district had provided funds for the canine and Supervisor John Thomas suggested the City of Batesville be asked to share the burden of a canine vehicle.
Franklin also said he would have as many as three vehicles to trade-in on a newer vehicle and explained to supervisors that the dog would be used throughout North Mississippi when needed.
He also informed supervisors that the first bomb scare at South Panola took five hours to clear the school. “It took two (hours) the second time,” he noted explaining that six canines were used from several jurisdictions.