The Sunflower County Board of Supervisors this past Monday resolved a dispute over retirement benefits between the county and its veterans affairs officer.
In a 5-0 vote, the board approved the employer's contributions to the Mississippi Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) for Ola Kirk, who claimed last month that she had been eligible for the benefits.
The county at the time disagreed.
The board unanimously approved two requests to pay contributions totaling $10,402.73 on Kirk's behalf. The first request, for $5,847.43, covered the period from August 1, 2021, to July 31, 2023. The second request, for $4,555.30, was for the period from August 1, 2023, to February 28, 2025.
The motions were made by District 1 Supervisor Glenn Donald and seconded by District 4 Supervisor Anthony Clark.
Kirk had previously highlighted the county's failure to pay her retirement benefits during a meeting on February 18. She claimed at the time that a lack of understanding among county officials regarding PERS eligibility requirements had led to the oversight. Kirk asserted her entitlement to retirement pay based on her work hours, emphasizing that part-time employees working at least 1,000 hours per year qualify for benefits.
"I was informed that I wasn’t entitled to retirement benefits, but I believe that I am eligible based on my work hours," Kirk stated, expressing her frustration with previous communications from payroll staff.
Supervisor Donald supported her claims, noting that part-time employees can work up to 32 hours a week and still maintain their status.
"If there have been mistakes in contributions, we need to rectify them," said Donald.
After the board's decision, Kirk expressed her gratitude, stating, "I'm glad this matter has been settled, making it easier for the next person coming behind me."
