CHARLESTON -- The Mississippi County assessor's concerns about his budget are unfounded, according to county officials responsible for the overall budget.
During the regular County Commission meeting Thursday, County Assessor W.R. "Bill" Thompson confronted commissioners and County Clerk Junior DeLay with what he said he believes are problems in his office's budget that he has been asked about by State Tax Commission officials.
"Gentlemen, it appears to me that I have missing money out of my budget," Thompson said.
He said the amount in his budget listed as "miscellaneous income" dropped from $3,085 to $1,373 resulting in a "debit to my budget."
"All this was was a workers comp adjustment," DeLay said. "We do it the way it's supposed to be done."
DeLay explained when the workers comp payment comes in lower than projections, it can't be taken out of the budget as an expense so the credit appears in the budget as income.
"Apparently some years, the workers comp was in the $3,000 to $4,000 range," he said.
"Well, I feel like it should be returned to my budget," Thompson said.
Commissioners asked if a portion of that figure could have possibly been income from maps or something else.
"I have no miscellaneous income," Thompson said. "We handle no money."
He said when residents request maps, he gives them away.
DeLay said County Treasurer Sandra DeField has explained the workers comp credit to the assessor and the State Tax Commission before. "The State Tax Commission to my knowledge has never questioned it," he said.
Thompson next confronted county officials with the subsidy from general revenue that is supposed to be deposited into the assessment fund. He read from a state statute that indicates the transfer should be made early in the year.
"That's just nitpicking -- you know you are going to get the money," said Presiding Commissioner Jim Blumenberg.
Blumenberg said if the State Tax Commission is worried about it, they should send a letter.
Commissioner Martin Lucas said Thompson should focus on running his office.
DeField has also addressed this issue with the State Tax Commission, according to DeLay, and was advised the STC does not have a problem with the timing of the transfers and it is not an issue unless money is actually withheld.
DeLay said these transfers have never been done up front before here or in other counties but noted he has recently been contacted by county clerks from other counties in the area who have had the same request from their assessors.
In other business Tuesday:
* Commissioners reappointed Dick Brown to another term on the county's Senate Bill 40 board.
Lucas said he will find out if Deema Atteberry, whose term expires July 31, is interested in serving another term.
"If Ms. Atteberry wants to go back on, she'll be back on," Blumenberg said.
Blumenberg also read an unsigned letter regarding the SB-40 board that advises the writer has been following recent news related to the board with interest.
The writer claims statutes mandate the board must include a lawyer, a doctor and a family member of someone served by the board.
Blumenberg said the statute "says the board should be made up of people from the community" but does not specify as claimed in the letter.
DeLay also advised that in July, the terms for Port Authority board members Bill Feezor and Swayne Byrd, both of Charleston, expire.
The board's chairman, Kenny George, has advised he will have the two board members come to a Commission meeting.
Appointments are also needed for the county's Industrial Development Authority board, according to DeLay.
"There's a bunch of them," he said. "Three terms expired last year without action."
* Commissioners discussed county roads that will be addressed during this blacktopping season as well as blacktop assistance for county municipalities.
Blumenberg suggested billing municipalities for asphalt by the ton instead of the square foot. Last year the county charged about 32 to 34 cents per square foot, he recalled, while this year the price would be around 42 cents.
"Outside of Wyatt, I don't know of any we're going to do," Blumenberg said.
He said Wyatt needs about 500 feet worth of blacktop but spread out in spots.
Following the asphalt work in Wyatt, county crews will put sealing oil on County Road 410, which was recently blacktopped, and 407.
Blumenberg said he spoke to Richard Wallace, county road and bridge superintendent, about how much work is needed on the Port Authority road.
"He thought it had 1,000 feet, roughly," Blumenberg said.
"It's a good road but if we don't do something to it, it will go to pieces," Commissioner Homer Oliver said.
Oliver asked about the possibility of just laying an asphalt cap on one lane, but Blumenberg advised against it because of the bump it would create with one lane being slightly higher.
He also advised that on his way back from Memphis, Tenn., recently he got another look at the first chip-and-seal road he looked at several years ago.
"I think it's still chip-and-seal," Oliver said. "It's still in really good shape."
He said some road and bridge departments have the rock layer thickness "down to a science."
Oliver said even though the county crews didn't have the right oil and put down too much rock on previous chip-and-seal attempts, they were still able to get satisfactory results.
* The county's grand jury is in the selection process, according to DeLay.