Yazoo County Sheriff Jeremy McCoy was previously granted a pay raise by the Yazoo County Board of Supervisors. But his salary increase only lasted three weeks with one supervisor changing his vote of support.
The Yazoo County Board of Supervisors approved a $10,000 pay raise for McCoy during its meeting on Sept. 16. The salary increase arrived on a 3-1 vote with Supervisor David Berry casting the sole opposing vote. Supervisors Joseph Thomas Jr., David Peyton and Willie Wright were in support of the pay raise. Supervisor Lee Moore was not present at the Sept. 16 meeting.
But during Monday’s meeting, Wright changed his vote of support for McCoy’s pay raise.
“On that day (Sept. 16), we voted 3-1,” Wright said, during Monday’ meeting. “I am here today to move my vote from ‘yea’ to ‘nay.’ I am not voting for that.”
With Wright changing his vote on the prior action, the motion to give McCoy a pay raise would then rest on a 2-2 tied vote.
“If that (previous) vote was 3-1 and Supervisor Wright changes his vote to ‘no,’ then that motion did not carry the majority of the quorum,” said Board Attorney Jay Barbour. “Therefore, the motion would fail.”
McCoy’s salary increase first appeared before the county board during its Sept. 16 meeting. At first, McCoy requested a $35,000 pay raise based on a legislative bill that supplements sheriff salaries up to that amount.
According to Miss. Code Ann. § 25-3-25, “the board of supervisors of any county, in its discretion, may pay an annual supplement to the sheriff of the county in an amount not to exceed Thirty-five Thousand Dollars ($35,000.00).”
Also based on that code, a sheriff’s annual salary is based upon the total population of the county. Based on the most recent Census report, the population of Yazoo County is 25,796 as of 2023. The code states that Yazoo County’s population would place the sheriff’s salary at $85,000. Phone calls to the county administrator’s office by The Herald to confirm that salary base were not returned as of press time.
During the Sept. 16 meeting, McCoy said his request for the $35,000 supplement could work with the savings he would making with the department’s communication equipment.
“We would be going from $150,000 a year to $64,000 this year,” McCoy said. “Next year, it will be $40-something.”
Following McCoy’s request for the $35,000 supplement, there was a long moment of silence among the present county board members.
“I think Jeremy is doing a great job, and I like Jeremy,” Berry said. “But I know the people who elected me would not be for another $35,000.”
“I am not going to sugarcoat it,” added Thomas. “We need extra deputies.”
However, later during the meeting, the board settled for a $10,000 supplement on a 3-1 vote with Berry being the sole opposing vote.
During Monday’s meeting, Chancery Clerk Quint Carver reminded the board that for the salary increase to pass, the board would have to ask for a new vote.
“I guess we can put it back on the table again with another motion,” replied Thomas.
However, after another long moment of silence, no new motion was made. The county board then moved onto new business.
