Claiborne County supervisors appoint Dr. Gregory Reed as part‑time county administrator, rescind prior advertising order

The Claiborne County Board of Supervisors voted Jan. 16 to rescind an earlier order continuing an interim county administrator, to cancel advertising for a full‑time county administrator, set a salary figure, and appoint Dr. Gregory Reed as a part‑time county administrator.

Board President Supervisor Jones called the special meeting to order at 10:09 a.m. and said the meeting’s sole purpose, as posted in public notice, was to consider the position of county administrator. The board announced the public notice had been posted Jan. 10, 2025, at the county courthouse door and at the county administrative building commonly named in the record as the William Macross administrating administration building.

The board cited Mississippi law in framing the meeting: Mississippi Code of 1972, Section 25‑41‑5 (open meetings) and Section 19‑3‑19 (special meetings called by the board president). The board also referenced Section 19‑4‑3 and Section 19‑4‑1 of the Mississippi Code in discussing the appointment and removal authority for a county administrator.

During discussion, the board said the current interim county administrator had been serving concurrently as purchase clerk and that the board believed it was in the county’s best interest to separate those duties. Supervisor Chamblee moved to rescind the order continuing the interim county administrator while confirming that the person would remain employed as purchase clerk; Supervisor Odom seconded the motion, and the motion carried.

The board then voted to rescind the prior order to advertise for the county‑administrator position, finding “that the employment of a county administrator immediately is in the public and best interest of the county.” The motion to rescind advertising was moved by Supervisor Chandler and seconded by Supervisor Odom; the motion carried.

The board briefly considered salary. A motion was made on the record to “set the county administrator salary at 100 1,000.” That motion was seconded by Supervisor Chandler and approved by voice vote. Shortly afterward, Supervisor Chandler moved, and Supervisor Odom seconded, a motion to appoint Dr. Gregory Reed "as a part time county administrator with a salary to be negotiable." That appointment motion carried.

All formal votes recorded in the transcript were voice votes; the record reports motions carried after the board’s membership answered “Aye” or “Nay” but does not list individual roll‑call votes or a numerical tally for each motion in the transcript.

Decisions taken at the meeting were limited to the posted subject (county administrator). No other business was transacted. The board adjourned the special meeting after the appointment.

The board’s actions on Jan. 16 include a sequence of formal motions (amend and approve the agenda to focus solely on the county administrator position; order that the public notice be entered into the minutes; rescind the continuation order for the interim county administrator while retaining that person as purchase clerk; rescind the order to advertise for the county‑administrator position; set a salary figure on the record; and appoint Dr. Gregory Reed as a part‑time county administrator). Where the transcript records both a salary figure read aloud and a subsequent appointment described as “salary to be negotiable,” the record is internally inconsistent on the final, binding salary amount.