Commissioners add tax assessor signer, hold per-diem increase request

The Meriwether County Board of Commissioners approved adding William Harris as an authorized check signer on the tax assessor's bank account and declined a requested per-diem increase for the Board of Assessors.

Staff presented a resolution and supporting paperwork asking the commission to authorize William Harris as a signer for the tax assessor's deposit account at First Peoples Bank. County staff said the bank had notified administration that Harris had been signing checks but was not an authorized signer. The board voted to add Harris as an authorized signer and to maintain a two-signature requirement on the account for internal control.

Separately, the Board of Assessors had requested raising the per-meeting stipend from $75 to $150 and the board discussed meeting frequency and the fiscal impact. Commissioners said they did not have sufficient data on total hours and projected cost, and they tabled the per-diem increase until the Sept. 8 meeting so staff could provide records of past meetings and financial impact.

Commissioners asked staff to confirm whether other boards receive per-diem and to provide historical meeting frequency for the assessor board to inform any future decision.