The Sunflower County Board of Supervisors held a regular meeting this past Tuesday, during which several key decisions were made regarding county finances, public services and upcoming elections.
The meeting, held at the Sunflower County Courthouse, was attended by District 2 Supervisor Riley Rice, District 3 Supervisor Roger Anthony, District 4 Supervisor Anthony Clark, and Board President Gloria Dickerson.
District 1 Supervisor Glenn Donald was absent at the start but joined about an hour in.
The session was officially opened with a prayer by Sheriff James Haywood.
Circuit Clerk Carolyn Hamilton’s requests concerning the City of Indianola’s 2025 elections were a central focus of the meeting. Hamilton was granted permission for the city to use county election equipment and the Circuit Courtroom for central counting.
She also secured a $5,000 check for the petit jury fund, a sum she indicated would exhaust the remaining funds in that budget line item. Additionally, she received approval for the Democratic Executive Committee to use the Circuit Courtroom on September 25 for a "Meet the Candidates" program.
All of Hamilton’s requests were approved with a 4-0 vote, with motions made by Supervisor Rice and seconded by Supervisor Clark.
In an interview, Hamilton explained the rationale behind her request to move central counting from Indianola’s City Hall to the courthouse:
"That was called Central Counting; technically, it’s supposed to be held at City Hall. But since that area is so small, the board can approve moving it to a better location, which we’ve learned from experience,” she said. “It should be at the courthouse because of the space we have. Additionally, their area is also a precinct, and in the past, we’ve had to wait until they finish canvassing, complete all the paperwork, and do the reports before we can even start central counting. Meanwhile, all other wards are bringing in their boxes. It’s total chaos, so from experience, we’ve learned to move that to the courthouse."
In other business, the board addressed multiple financial and administrative matters:
The board received and approved resolutions from both the Bogue Phalia Drainage District and the Lead Bayou Drainage District regarding drainage taxes for fiscal years 2025-2026.
Sheriff James Haywood and Chancery Clerk Gloria McIntosh presented their reports.
County Administrator Mary Hart submitted a petition for herself and others to attend the MAS Fall Educational and Policy Development Workshop in Oxford in October 2025.
Supervisors Rice and Clark made a motion to approve a travel petition for the Youth Court Judges/Referee Conference in Oxford.
Payments of $725.00 to Power Pro and $1,340.00 to R19 Architecture, PLLC, were approved.
The board reviewed and discussed budget amendments for Building Maintenance, Chancery, Circuit and Circuit Court, Jail, and Vehicle/Road/Bridge funds.
An amendment to the budget to cover a deficit was also approved.
The board is scheduled to recess until 8 a.m. on Monday, September 15.
