Calhoun County Supervisors approved a request for a tax exemption from Furniture Wood in Vardaman at a meeting last Friday morning.
Sam Griffis, with the Furniture Wood plant in Vardaman, submitted the request for the tax exemption on new equipment. He said the plant would still pay taxes on the land and building but they are putting in a lot of new and refurbished equipment and hope to get a tax break.
He noted they currently employ 77 people and have a payroll of approximately $3 million and any tax break they receive would aid in their expansion efforts.
Barney Wade
“It’s not a whole lot that they are asking for at all,” Board President Barney Wade said. “(Attorney) Sonny (Clanton) has looked over it and said it’s ok. This is the same thing we’ve done for Weyerhaeuser in the past.”
The board approved the request unanimously.
In other news, the board approved an NRCS project for a Banner Church site where erosion is damaging a ditch. Rip-rap will be installed.
Circuit Clerk Carlton Baker thanked supervisors for their assistance with getting precincts ready for the election and said they will be needed again for the June 24 runoff.
Chancery Clerk Ramona Tillman said the county had received a letter from the Region IV Mental Health center in Tupelo requesting an immediate increase in contract price. She said the county is paying $2,000 a month now and another $1,000 per month is requested for the remainder of the fiscal year which ends Sept. 30. She said it is expected they will seek even more for the next fiscal year.
Tillman told the board that the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department is not certified to hold “lunacies,” which the county is now able to take directly to the Region IV center. If the county does not come up with the additional requested funds and is forced to house its own “lunacies,” the county would be libel if anything happened with one in custody.
Earnest Fox
Supervisor Earnest Fox said the additional cost would be worth it to the county to not be exposed to such liability.
Sheriff Pollan agreed and said they currently don’t have an isolated empty cell in which they could house a “lunacy” client.
The board agreed to pay the increase.
The board also approved the hiring of James Lollar as a part time worker in district four.