Stone County Board of Supervisors | June 1, 2026
At this meeting: A new chancery court judge introduced herself and outlined upcoming district changes. The senior center requested a lighting upgrade. The EDP presented its FY 2026–27 budget. A correctional facility reimbursement request was denied. The county’s flood emergency declaration remains active.
This summary is intended to document what was discussed and decided during the meeting. It follows the agenda in order and reflects the substance of each item.
1. Approval of Minutes — May 18, 2026 Until Present
Motion made and approved.
Passed
2. Honorable Sheila Smallwood — Chancellor, Future 13th District Chancery Court
Judge Sheila Smallwood appeared before the board to introduce herself and provide an overview of upcoming changes to the chancery court district structure.
Discussion included:
- The Mississippi Legislature recently redistricted judicial districts; changes take effect in January 2027
- Judge Smallwood is currently presiding over five counties; under the new district, she will cover three — Perry, Stone, and Forrest counties
- Youth court is currently running well; no changes anticipated
- Stone County currently goes without a chancery judge often; her goal is to have at least one judge present in Stone County at least one week per month
- A new judicial post will be added to the district; three candidates are currently running for that seat
- Stone County’s projected contribution to district staff and court reporter costs is approximately 13% of the total — estimated at around $160,000 per year for staff and a court reporter (verify against budget sheet distributed at meeting)
- The sheriff’s department will provide security for court
- Judge Smallwood plans to add information to the county’s chancery court website
- The electronic filing system (NEC) will require reassignment of cases to new judges; transition is being managed in advance of the January effective date
- She committed to transparency and direct communication with the board rather than issuing orders without prior discussion
- The district previously covered Hancock and Harrison counties; those will not be part of the new district
No vote taken on the budget contribution. Judge Smallwood indicated the numbers would be shared with the board for review.
3. Rachel Bonney — Ward 2 Alderwoman — Senior Center
Rachel Bonney presented a proposal related to the Stone County Senior Center.
Discussion included:
- The senior center currently uses older fluorescent lighting throughout the building, inside and out; approximately 20 bulbs were out at the time of the request
- Mississippi Power offers an incentive program that reimburses part of the cost to replace fluorescent fixtures with LED bulbs
- Replacing approximately 77 fixtures would have a net cost of approximately $7,600 after incentives
- The upgrade would pay for itself in under four years through energy savings
- Bonney asked for county cooperation and budget planning support
- The center hosts regular programming including card games, line dancing, and meals with typical attendance of 20 to 50 people; no changes to vendors currently in place
- The ice machine was recently replaced after a period of borrowing ice from the fire department
No vote taken. Item referred to the upcoming budget planning process.
4. Stone County Administrator Report — Personnel Report
Motion made and approved.
Passed 5-0
5. Relocation of County Related Departments
The board considered a proposal to relocate certain county departments to maximize use of existing county facilities and potentially accommodate paying tenants in current space.
Discussion included:
- The county is growing and space needs are changing
- The proposed relocation would move a department to the Kids’ Workplace facility
- County counsel noted that proper notice must be provided to any department or tenant being relocated
- A minimum notice period of approximately 30 days was discussed
Motion made and approved.
Passed 5-0
6. Contract and Payment with USDA — Riceville Road
This item was referred to executive session for legal review. No public action taken.
7. Payroll — Period Ending May 8 and Payable May 15, 2026
Payroll total: $322,515.58
Motion made and approved.
Passed 5-0
Note: Budget season has officially begun. Department submissions are due back by July 6.
8. Stone County Emergency Communications / 911 — Statewide Mutual Aid Compact
Emergency Communications Director Mike Williams presented the Statewide Mutual Aid Compact for re-approval.
Discussion included:
- The compact is a standard document allowing counties to share emergency resources with other counties in need; the state requested fresh signatures with no substantive changes to the agreement
- The local emergency declaration from recent flooding remains active; a daily report is required and the declaration will not be closed for the full 30-day window to ensure all flood-related damages are captured for potential reimbursement
- The county is past the point of active standby but is maintaining the declaration through the full period
- The county’s hazardous waste collection day drew three times the participation of the prior year — strong community turnout for proper disposal of filters, pool paint, and similar materials
- The Mississippi Gulf Coast Amateur Radio Emergency Services, Southern District held an exercise at the county facility with approximately 30 participants; this serves as a backup communication system in the event of infrastructure failure
Motion made and approved.
Passed 5-0
9. Stone County Regional Correctional Facility — Reimbursement Request, Alfred Quave
The correctional facility administrator presented a reimbursement request for purchases made without prior board approval.
Discussion included:
- Pizza purchased for a graduation ceremony: $69.90
- Additional items contracted through ACA: $91.25
- Total reimbursement requested: $161.15
- Board members raised concerns that the purchases were made without prior board approval and submitted for reimbursement after the fact
- Legal questions were raised about whether general funds can be used for inmate welfare expenditures of this nature; board counsel indicated this was not a permissible use of general funds
Motion made and approved to disapprove the reimbursement request.
Passed 5-0
StoneCounty Sheriff Department – No Agenda Item
Stone County Tax Assessor/Collector – No Agenda Item
10. Oneal Bond Engineering — LPA Time Extension Addendum, West McHenry Road MDOT LPA-FLAP Bridge Replacement Program
A six-month time extension addendum was presented for the engineering contract on the West McHenry Road bridge replacement program.
Discussion included:
- This type of extension is routine and done on a yearly basis as the project continues through the engineering phase
- Plans are expected to be ready to advertise within the next few weeks; the board will be presented with a full set of plans before the project goes out to bid
Motion made and approved.
Passed 5-0
Note: A Gulf Coast Restoration Fund grant time extension letter was also addressed at this meeting — not on the original agenda. The letter advances all project dates one year, from 2026–27 to 2027–28, to reflect current project timelines. Approved.
11. Stone County Circuit Clerk — Security of County Polling Places
Item listed on agenda for discussion and/or approval. (Verify with official minutes when published.)
12. Stone County Chancery Clerk — Certificate of Completion, Cindy Rogers
Received for the record.
13. Accounts Payable Docket — June 1, 2026
Motion made and approved.
Passed
14. Stone County Recreation Department — Stone-Wiggins Recreation Association Financial Report
Recreation Director Brian presented the monthly financial report through April 30, 2026.
Discussion included:
- Spring baseball and softball season is wrapping up
- The department recently invested approximately $9,000 to redo ball fields using a crushed-root type dirt material; this is done approximately every four to five years
- Batting cages are in good shape; the department is exploring enclosing them to protect players from weather
- Bathroom facilities and the office roof sustained leaks during recent heavy rain and are being addressed
- Electrical junction boxes damaged in a recent storm are being repaired; the lighting system has otherwise performed well with only two issues since installation, both resolved within 24 hours
Received for the record.
Stone County Building and Planning Department – No Agenda Items
Stone County Medical examiner’s Office – No Agenda Items
Stone County Justice Court – No Agenda Items
Stone County Veteran Services – No Agenda Items
Stone County Road Department – No Agenda Items
Stone County Rural Fire Coordination – No Agenda Items
Stone COunty Buildings and Grounds – No Agenda Items
Stone County Election Commission – No Agenda Items
Stone County Emergency Communications/911 – No Agenda Items
15. Monthly Fee Payroll — May 2026
Payroll approved for the following:
- Samuel Tom Smith — Chancery Clerk
- Treba Davis — Circuit Clerk
- Election Commission
- Michael Allen — Constable, West Side
- Ben F. Carlisle — Constable, East Side
- Wayne Flurry — Coroner
- Naomi Sigman — Deputy Coroner
Motion made and approved.
Passed
16. Stone County EDP — FY 2026–27 Budget Proposal
EDP Director presented the FY 2026–27 budget for board approval.
Discussion included:
- Operations budget total: $680,000
- Projected revenue: $1.68 million
- Projected expenditures: approximately $680,000 — approximately 1.6% increase over prior year
- New businesses coming to Stone County reflect continued activity; industrial park development remains a focus
- Capital budget includes funds for better interest rate returns, industrial structure maintenance, land acquisition for development, and a match for county highway grants
- Signage maintenance included
- Copies and office supplies budget increased to reflect current pricing
- Board expressed appreciation for the partnership
Motion made and approved.
Passed 5-0
17. Public Comments
A community member announced a June 6, 2026 celebration planned for Saturday, reminding the board about the 250th birthday celebration event.
A representative from the Mississippi Department of Health — Regional Administrator Vanessa Pace and a colleague from district operations — addressed the board.
Discussion included:
- Appreciation for the county’s longstanding support of health department services
- Concern about the proposed department relocation (Item 5) and its potential impact on the health department’s ability to maintain confidential services including STI treatment, TB, and related programs
- The department served the county significantly during COVID-19 vaccine administration
- The representative asked that if relocation is required, the county ensure adequate private space is available and provide at least 30 days notice
- She expressed willingness to work with the county on the transition
No action taken. Board acknowledged the concerns.
18. Executive Session
Motion made and approved to determine the need for executive session.
Passed
Motion made and approved to enter executive session.
Passed
Adjournment
The board entered executive session at the close of the meeting. This reporter did not remain for the conclusion of executive session. Based on the published agenda, the board was scheduled to stand recessed until 9:00 a.m., Monday, June 15, 2026. That adjournment could not be confirmed firsthand.
This summary follows the agenda order and reflects the discussion and action taken during the meeting. It is intended to document what was discussed, what action was taken, and what residents may want to know if they missed the meeting. One figure — the chancery court budget contribution — should be verified against the document Judge Smallwood distributed before publishing.