The Washington County Board of Supervisors voted Monday to increase the salary of the county coroner.
County Coroner Methel Johnson requested her monthly salary be increased from $900 per month to $1,250 per month, bringing her annual total to $15,000.
District 4 Supervisor Mala Brooks made a motion to increase the salary, which was seconded by District 5 Supervisor Jerry Redmond Sr.
The motion won 3-2 with Supervisors Tommy Benson and Lee Gordon opposing and BOS president Carl McGee voting for the raise.
Johnson also requested the addition of a second deputy coroner, whose salary increase from $125 per month to $175 per month would be mandatory and not at the board’s discretion.
Because of recent legislation Senate Bill 2827 that passed April 18, 2019, regarding the salaries of county employees, some supervisors had reservations about the addition as it pertains to the impact on the county budget.
Johnson inquired as to whether she could be compensated retroactively, seeing as the mandate for raises went into effect the first of the year.
Board Attorney Willie Griffin said the raise could not legally be done.
Brooks said she thought Johnson deserved the pay increase and thought the board should reimburse.
“You can’t legally reimburse a mandate? This means this board dropped the ball on a mandated decision in Mississippi.”
In response, Gordon said, “When we talked about that, from my understanding when it was discussed, it was at the discretion of the board … but I will tell you this, even when all those recommendations come up, even for this board, I voted against us even getting any of that, and I remain against it.”
In reference to the coroner budget, Johnson said everything she requests gets denied.
“The budget you all set for me, you don’t allow me to do anything about it,” she said, noting she herself turns it in to the county administration.
Johnson said her reason for requesting another deputy coroner is so someone will be able to serve in Jackson as needed and be on call here in Washington County.
Gordon asked, “This is just a substitute in case one of you all (Johnson and the current deputy coroner) can’t go out?”
Johnson said that was correct.
Brooks motioned for the addition of another deputy coroner and the motion was unanimously voted for.
