Video: Yalobousha Voters Chose Beat/Unit System

[syndicaster id=’5952532′]

WATER VALLEY, Miss.(WCBI)–A petition has been certified and people in Yalobousha County are a step closer in a process that could change the way supervisors do their business.

A brief called meeting at Yalobousha County Courthouse gives voters a chance to officially know that enough qualified signatures are in hand to present to election commissioners for a vote on what form of government will be used in the county. It was not a time for any heated debate on the issue.

“Absolutely not this wasn’t the time to discuss the pros and cons of it. We going to have ample time between now and November to do that. And I feel sure we’ll have several town meetings with both sides of the issue represented,” said Tommy Vaughn/Supervisor Board President.

“But just individually I would say that its nice to give our people a choice on anything. Always good to have a choice, a chance to vote about something,” said Bob Tyler/Yalobousha County Voter.

Right now voters may be divided on the choice between the beat or unit system, there is an agreement among those who head up the county….there will be no mud slinging.

“We are friends with all of the supervisors here we are friends with all of the officials inn the county. And this is not about them, this is about giving the citizens an opportunity to determine what form of government they would like to continue to operate under,” said Frank Brook/Concerned Citizen.

“Having been the board president and on the board for 12 years, I think the beat system is the best thats my personal view. I’m trying to put it on anybody, but I’ve handled county money for 12 years and we’ve never increased taxes by one mill and if you can do any better than that I’ll vote for it,” said Tommy Vaughn.

“We have four brand new supervisors coming in in January. And we feel like we need to give them the tools necessary so that they can gain all the efficiency as possible.us they can get some good equipment, good road equipment and not spend all their time maintaining equipment, but actually working the equipment,” said Frank Brooks.

Beats systems let each individual supervisors handle their own district t, under the unit way of doing things, a road manager is placed over operations and usually answers to a county administrator. However the vote turns out, it appears that citizens of this county are willing to live with whatever voters decide.

“Be sure that you are educated on what both sides offer and what you want before you go in their, because ever which way we go we’ll probably live with from now on,” said Tommy Vaughn.

The county seems to be working in harmony as they decide what form of government they’ll be operating under. Public hearings and meetings are set for the month of October, as we head to the November General Election.

The same vote was placed before Yalobousha County voters in 1988, at that time voters chose the beat system which they now operate under.