By Rupert Howell
Sheriff Dennis Darby spoke his mind during Tuesday’s supervisor meeting when questions were raised about additional pay for two staff members.
Those staff members got raises on a three-to-two vote but it took board president Cole Flint’s second to put the sheriff’s requests to a vote.
In August Darby asked for his department’s road deputies to receive starting pay of $35,000 compared to the $28,260 presently earned.
Darby, his chief deputy Chris Franklin and S.O. Administrator Robbie Haley said then much of the difference between their proposal and the current budget would be made up with less overtime pay during the coming fiscal year.
During budget workshops supervisors decided to allow a smaller raise than requested, and once they hesitated to raise investigator Terry Smith’s pay to that of other investigators and Lieutenant Emily Griffin’s pay to that of a shift commander during Tuesday’s meeting, Darby stood and let board members know how he felt.
“We’ve been cut over a million dollars over five years. . .  We’ve asked for less and been given less. Now we’re at rock bottom,” Darby said, noting that small towns were paying their policemen more than his road deputies were making.
Haley said Panola Deputies were starting at lower salaries than all neighboring counties as well as most other counties in the area.
Darby cited savings to the county from using state inmate labor for lawn and maintenance on county buildings and grounds and also noted that money is saved by his department by repairing vehicles and equipment in-house.
He warned supervisors that he could get rid of state-inmate labor by making one call to Mississippi Department of Corrections.
“You don’t realize the responsibility and liability that falls on us (with state inmate housing and labor). And all the headaches are mine,” he said.
The two-term sheriff said his administration had cut out a lot of excess spending that was done by two previous administrations.
Panola and other counties previously received payment for each MDOC inmate housed.
Under a new MDOC director, MDOC is currently only responsible for medical bills of prisoners.
County Administrator Kelley Magee said she wasn’t sure where Darby’s $1 million figure came from, saying the budget did reflect a reduction of $250,000 that last fiscal year was paid to settle a sheriff’s department lawsuit.
While district Three Supervisor John Thomas was quick to get behind the sheriff, District Four Supervisor Donald Phelps explained the county did budget a “substantial raise.”
Thomas, District Two Supervisor Vernice Avant and Flint voted for the salary adjustments for Smith and Griffin while District One Supervisor Birge and Phelps voted nay.