Video: Lowndes to Ask Legislature to Approve $3,100 bill

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LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) –Lowndes County will have to get the Legislature’s permission to pay a $3,100 bill.

As county officials raced last summer to meet state and federal deadlines for debris removal following last April’s tornadoes, county leaders ordered a contractor to pick up trees and limbs from the rights-of-way along Susan and Bolton drives off Highway 50 and Tabernacle roads in eastern Lowndes County.

Later, they realized those were private roads and that the work should have been approved in advance by county supervisors

“On the last day, Ronnie Burns (Road Manager), John Holliman (District 3 supervisor, and I were touring the county to check on removal and we came across these roads. The residents had moved everything to the right of way like they were supposed and we said we needed to get it picked up. By the time we realized they were private roads, the work was done and we couldn’t get prior approval from the board,” County Administrator Ralph Billingsley said.

State law forbids counties from doing work on private property unless it is for general county good and is approved in advance by the full board with specific findings of fact about the circumstances and value to the county. Those conditions weren’t met.

Looks Great Services, the contractor who handled the county’s debris cleanup, has billed the county $3,099.69 for the debris removal from the two roads.

The county’s only option to pay the bill is to get a private act approved by the Legislature. The county will ask state Rep. Jeff Smith, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, to introduce the legislation when the Legislature convenes tomorrow. They hope for quick approval.