A discussion over a $4,928 landfill invoice turned heated during the Monday morning session of the Sunflower County Board of Supervisors and resulted in an admonishment from Sheriff James Haywood.
The invoice was presented to the lawmakers by District 5 Supervisor Gloria Dickerson who wanted to know if the county would pay it since it was for storm debris picked up during the cleanup in the town of Drew.
Attorney Johnny McWilliams said since the county is the one who took the rubbish to the landfill it is the county’s responsibility to pay it. Road Manager T.J. Fairley clarified that the debris was collected from the county and not from Drew.
District 1 Supervisor Glenn Donald advised that there was no need to even discuss the matter because of the county’s emergency declaration. He said it's a normal protocol that when debris is picked up during an emergency and taken to the landfill, the county is always billed and the invoice is paid and submitted to emergency management for reimbursement. He stated that all the County Administrator had to do was pay the bill.
Board President Riley Rice said the only reason the matter was brought before the members was because they were under the impression that the debris came out of Drew and they wanted to know who was going to pay it.
The discussion about the bill escalated and became heated with raised voices when Donald tried to give background on how it was normally handled.
"If Mr. Rice would shut up for a minute," Donald said.
Rice responded, “I am president of this board and I can speak when I get ready now, you can't tell me when I can speak.”
Donald fired back, “Because you're the president, it don't make no difference,” Donald said, "We gone respect everybody here.”
Rice said, "We're respecting everybody. Now, this is one day, I've been being quiet, I have not been saying anything, but this is one day you ain't gone talk over me. I'm not going to let nobody run over me.”
At that moment, Haywood stepped in and suggested a five-minute recess.
Rice stated that he was alright, didn’t need a break and proceeded to carry out the motion made by Dickerson to pay the invoice.
Someone said, “Take a break Mr. Rice.” but Rice continued, “The motion has been made and seconded and I'm going to carry it through. I ain't got to have no break.”
McWilliams clarified that if the bill was on the claims docket it would not need a motion, but if it was not on the claims docket it had to have a board order. County Administrator Gloria McIntosh said it was not on the docket and she wanted to do a demand check so that the people would not have to wait until the July docket to get paid.
District 3 Supervisor Gaston spoke up and said, "You got a motion, you got a second, you need to vote, move on."
Reportedly Donald and District 4 Supervisor Anthony Clark had left the room, presumably at the earlier request of the sheriff. “You still got a quorum, you can vote,” said Gaston.
When Donald and Clark returned, Donald asked what the vote was for and said that he voted no.
When Clark was asked, he eventually voted yes. McWilliams indicated that he had recorded the vote as if all five members were in the room at the time, even though Rice had carried the motion prior to Donald and Clark’s return.
Rice later made a statement regarding his earlier remarks. “If I said anything out of order, if I was out of order, I'm sorry,” he said.
