Lauderdale County supervisors hire property appraiser

By By Georgia E. Frye / staff writer
Dec. 19, 2003
After months of disagreement between the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors and Tax Assessor Jimmy Slay, the board voted Friday to hire Sanders and Associates Appraisal Services to do real property appraisals.
Following the hiring of Sanders and Associates, an Aberdeen company, District 3 Supervisor Craig Hitt, president of the board, moved that the county "pursue hiring someone who will be in house to do property appraisals."
The motion passed.
In October, two appraisers left the office when Slay won re-election in the August primary. At that time, the county supervisors rejected Slay's recommendation to contract with Sanders and Associates Appraisal Services.
One appraiser resigned and the other was fired by Slay when he decided to contract the work. Slay cannot enter into a contract without approval from the board of supervisors.
Contracting the work would cost $73,500 a tax year, which would save the county at least $20,000 annually compared to the salaries of the two appraisers who no longer work in the office, Slay said.
Until 2000, the county had two personal property appraisers on staff. Since that time, personal property appraisals have been contracted to Statewide Appraisal, based in Brandon.
Other business
In other business, the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors voted to increase the salaries of 911 Commission employees Linda Rawson and Randy Rose by $100 per day while 911 Commissioner John Mott is serving in Iraq.