Jackson Free Press

Three Hinds County departments received a funding bump this morning. At its regular meeting, the Hinds County Board of Supervisors agreed to provide $95,000 this year to the offices of Hinds County Attorney Sherri Flowers, District Attorney Robert Smith and County Court Judge William Skinner.

Flowers, whose office prosecutes misdemeanor cases in Hinds County filed in justice court, requested $60,000 for an additional prosecutor and to increase the salary of her part-time legal assistant, who Flowers said is paid $12,000 per year.

Smith, the county's chief prosecutor requested $30,000 to prosecute cases. Skinner, who handles youth court cases, requested that the county provide funding for the youth drug court. Skinner said the Legislature reduced the court's funding to $115,000 this year, and that the state funding will decrease further, to $75,000 next year.

Skinner said he sent letters to Gov. Phil Bryant, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and Speaker Philip Gunn requesting a special session to restore the program's funding. Skinner said treating a kid through the county's drug court costs $7.89 per day, compared to the $49.76 per day the Mississippi Department of Corrections pays to house prisoners.

"We don't punish kids at youth drug court; we're all about treatment," Skinner told supervisors.

The court program funds will come from the county's cash surplus of $523,000. Supervisors agreed 4-0 to provide all of the requested additional funds.

At this morning's meeting, the board also discussed the appointment of an interim District 2 supervisor to fill the vacancy left by the death of longtime Supervisor Doug Anderson.

District 4 Supervisor Phil Fisher nominated Darrel McQuirter, the county's planning and zoning director, for the post. District 3 Supervisor Peggy Hobson-Calhoun seconded Fisher's motion, but board President Robert Graham refused to recognize the motions because, he said, he has been out of town and has not reviewed all the applications of interested candidates. Graham added that it would not be fair if the board made an appointment before he had time to consider all the candidates.

"I see this as an attempt to stall the process," Hobson-Calhoun said.

Several members of the audience asked to address the supervisors, but Graham rebuffed their requests as well as Hobson-Calhoun's insistence that the individuals be allowed to speak.

Graham told Hobson-Calhoun that she was out of order, and angrily banged his gavel seven times.

Later in the meeting, District 2 Justice Court Judge Ivory Britton asked the board to reconsider making an interim board appointment.

"We are terribly underserved by not having a supervisor in that seat," Britton said of residents of his district.

Graham continued to deny discussion on the issue.

"This is not a public forum," he said.