Stone County Board of Supervisors Recap | September 8, 2026

Tuesday, September 8, 2026 · 9:00 a.m. · Stone County Courthouse

At this meeting: The board approved the August 17 minutes and voted to direct remaining use tax funds into paving. Supervisors heard from a candidate for 13th District Chancery Court judge, a VFW update, concert safety preparations for an October 17 event, and renovation costs for the MSU-LIFT Center building. After a discussion of fair participation rules, the board asked the Stone County Fair Association to attend its September 15 meeting. The board recessed until Monday, September 14 for the budget hearing.

WigginsMS.com founder Sundee Williams attended this meeting until about 10:00 a.m. Items after that point are listed as printed on the agenda; their outcomes were not observed and are not stated here. The board’s official minutes are the record of action.

1. Minutes from August 17, 2026 until present. Passed.

Unfinished Business

2. Zach Vaughn, candidate for 13th District Chancery Court Judge. Vaughn, an attorney who works with families in difficult circumstances, said he wants to help Stone County. Chancery court districts are being consolidated. For information; no vote.

3. VFW Post #12216 update. The post competes at the state and national level and described essay and oratory contests for middle and high school students and a Teacher of the Year recognition open to all schools. It encouraged combat veterans to join, noting many people don’t know a VFW post is here. The post reported donations of $250 to the Stone High School Band and $150 to Stone High School Football. For information; no vote.

4. Fair Board regulations (John Stringer). Stringer raised concerns about a change to who can participate in the county fair. The board set the Fair Association’s participation area in 1951, and it included parts of Forrest and Perry Counties south of Black Creek. It was stated that 41 exhibitors were not included and that nine Stone County families pulled out. The request to the board was to provide oversight and restore the boundaries to what they were.

Board discussion asked why the Fair Association had not come to the board, what documents exist from 1951, and how other counties handle it. Concern was raised that the change was known more than two weeks earlier but not announced. The board’s attorney noted the Fair Association has its own board and that no decision on the matter could be made that day.

No motion was made. The board asked the Fair Association to attend its September 15 meeting.

5. Concert preparations (Ollie Pough). A concert is planned for October 17 on a 36-acre private property at 228 Thelma Andrews Rd, with capacity for parking and attendees. Plans discussed included coordination with the Sheriff’s Office, about 40 hired security staff, three medical personnel, on-site parking, portable restrooms, and searches at entry with no firearms allowed. Attendance is expected at 1,500 to 2,000, with a limit of 2,300. Alcohol will not be sold, but guests may bring their own. The property is isolated, and nearby residents are attending. For information; no vote.

6. Lemon Mohler updates. An update was on the agenda; details were not captured.

Board of Supervisors

7. FY 2026-2027 budget information. Taken as a status update; details were not captured. The board recessed to a budget hearing on Monday, September 14.

8. Use tax funds. The board voted to direct the County Administrator to allocate $861,044 [figure to be confirmed against county records] in remaining available use tax funds into paving, noting the funds must be spent or they would be lost next year. Passed.

9. MSU-LIFT Center renovation costs. The renovation of the building MSU-LIFT will move into is estimated at about $17,000. MSU-LIFT’s regular rent is $2,500 per month; the tenant will pay $3,238 per month until the renovation is paid off. A floor plan update was part of the discussion, and MSU-LIFT is expected to occupy the building November 1. This item was still under discussion when the reporter left; any action is not confirmed.

Items on the Agenda: Outcomes Not Observed

The following items were printed on the agenda. Listing an item here does not mean it was approved.

Stone County Administrator Report

10. Business Procedures

11. FY27 Grant Implementation Meeting

12. Audit Compliance Reviews

13. Personnel Report

14. Payroll #4-052, period ending 8/14/2026, payable 8/21/2026 ($316,176.25)

Sheriff Department

15. 2026 Winter Conference (Todd Stewart & Steve Taylor)

Road Department

16. Permission to take equipment to auction

Emergency Communications / 911

17. Behind the Badge Course (Kristenann Hawkins & Anglea Melvin) [spelling as printed]

18. MCDEMA 2026 Mid Winter Emergency Management Education Conference

Oneal Bond Engineering

19. Purchase Agreement for Rail Road Spur Project

20. Advertise the GCRF Inda Industrial Park Rail Project

21. Invoice – Parker Road Appraisal

Justice Court

22. Justice Court Clerk Conference

23. MGCCC WIOA Agreement

24. Disbursement of 25-7-27(F) Mississippi Code of 1972 (Mike Allen & Ben Carlisle)

Buildings and Grounds

25. Fee waiver, Fairgrounds Exhibit Building – Greater Texas Chapel B.C.

26. Fee waiver, Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall – MSU-ES

27. Fee waiver, Big Level Community Center – Grace Brinster

28. Fee waiver, Fairgrounds and Exhibit Hall – MSU-ES 4-H Jr Livestock (2)

29. Fee waiver, Magnolia Community Center – SMS Cheer Booster Club

30. Inventory deletion

Medical Examiner’s Office

31. Hire Deputy Coroner

32. Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office invoice

Chancery Clerk

33. MASIT invoice for additional premium from policy changes, April 1 – August 5, 2026

34. Renewal of advertisement with Stone High Baseball

35. Regional Cost Allocation requests from DA’s Office

36. Pine Belt Mental Health quarterly report

37. Request for private family cemetery

38. Plans for the property in Picayune, MS

39. Letter of support – Pat Harrison Waterway application for funds

40. Certificate of correct copy of Real and Personal Roll Recapitulations

41. Application for certification to expend the One Mill

42. Accounts Payable Docket for September 8, 2026

Rural Fire Coordinator (no items) / fee payroll

43. Monthly fee payroll for August 2026 (Chancery Clerk Samuel Tom Smith; Circuit Clerk Treba Davis; Election Commission; Constables Michael Allen – West Side and Ben F. Carlisle – East Side; Coroner Wayne Flurry; Deputy Coroner Naomi Sigman)

Public comment and executive session

44. Public comments (3 minutes): not observed.

Departments with no agenda items: Regional Correctional Facility, Circuit Clerk, Tax Assessor/Collector, Building and Planning, Veteran Services, Election Commission, and Rural Fire Coordinator.

Executive Session and Adjournment

45. Executive session. When the reporter returned, the board had come out of non-public session with no additional action taken. The reason for the session and its start and end times were not observed.

The board recessed until Monday, September 14, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. for the FY 2026-2027 budget hearing. (The printed agenda footer still read August 17, apparently carried over from a prior agenda.)