Yazoo County Tax Collector Travis Crimm Jr. says he believes the Board of Supervisors cut his budget for the upcoming year in retaliation for a recent suit he filed against the county.
Crimm says the taxpayers are going to be the ones who suffer.
Members of the Board of Supervisors responded that it wasn’t personal, but the board had to make tough choices to keep from raising taxes, and they considered Crimm’s office overstaffed.
The issue dates back to a recent dispute between Crimm and the board over some members of his staff receiving pay raises due to earning certifications. The raises were mandated by state law, but the board argued that Crimm was taking advantage of the law to get more money for his staff members while straining the county budget. Crimm challenged the board’s efforts to prevent him from using funds for additional training in court, but later dropped the case after both sides reached an agreement.
Crimm said he was then surprised to see his budget cut by the county. The matter was the subject of heated debate during the board’s meeting Friday.
Crimm said the board reduced his budget enough that he had to cut a full time employee.
“I came to ask the board to consider amending my budget for the upcoming year,” Crimm said. “I would like to have some explanation as to why I’m having one full time employee cut. It’s my understanding that I’m the only one having a full time cut. I might could see a part time if we’re having budget problems, but to take a full time...”
Board President Cobie Collins asked Crimm how many employees he has. Crimm responded that he has six, including himself.
“That office has always carried six and one more,” Crimm said.
Collins said back when Mary Sue Shipp ran both the tax collector and tax assessor office, she had seven employees.
“It was seven, but Mary Sue was running two offices then,” Collins said.
“That’s not counting the ones across the hall,” Crimm said.
Crimm produced 2003 payroll he said showed seven employees in the tax collectors office.
“That was the beginning of the term before me,” Crimm said. “There have always been four on the counter and there has always been a part time employee. She had the luxury of being able to pull from across the hall if they got backed up. I don’t have that luxury. We’re split.”
“That was 13 years ago,” said District 4 Supervisor Jayne Dew.
“That’s when the office (tax collector and tax assessor) was split,” Crimm responded.
Crimm said the reduction of staff will erase years of work to improve customer service to the taxpayers.
“To lose two people on that counter cripples our office,” Crimm said. “That’s everything I’ve built to try to improve services for this county. I even started collections November 1 to try to ease your woes to have money to make it until the end of the year - and the city’s.”
Crimm said the reduced staff will also mean that they can no longer start collecting early.
“If I get cut, half of my staff on the front I can’t start collections in November. I won’t be able to handle the flow. I’ve got one part time employee who does nothing but mail and answering the phones. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a part time who can work the counter too because she used to work for me. If we have one out sick, how are we supposed to be able to function? Of course I’ll go to the counter too. I work it just like everybody else does.”
Collins said the board would consider Crimm’s request and get back with him.
“Why can’t we just discuss it?” Crimm asked. “This budget was never discussed with us.”
Crimm said he attempted to get information to the board about his budget and what is required.
“Did ya’ll get the envelopes that I sent that explained what is needed to run that office?” Crimm asked.
Collins said that the board received his request, and the board also learned that the state only requires his office to have three certified employees.
“Ya’ll must not have read the statute very well,” Crimm said. “It says a minimum of three certified,” Crimm said. “If you walk into Hinds County or Madison County or Rankin County, how many deputies do you think they have?” Crimm asked. “Or any of these other counties? Some have up to 20 to 25 deputies and two or three offices. Are you going to tell me that three is all they’re going to run?”
“We’ve heard what you have to say,” Collins said. “Does anybody here want to make a motion to change the budget?”
“I think it’s something that should be brought up in executive session,” District 1 Supervisor Van Foster said.
“He wants an answer now,” Collins said. “He doesn’t want to go to executive session.”
Crimm pointed to Shelly Gilmore in the audience, and identified her as the employee he is having to let go.
“This is the young lady back here that I’m going to have to cut loose,” Crimm said. “She would like an explanation as well, and I think she deserves it. Why am I the only office that’s losing a full time employee? Why my office?”
“I think your office was the only office that was overstaffed,” Collins said.
“How can you determine that it’s overstaffed,” Crimm said. “Do you work the office?”
“I don’t have to,” Collins responded. “All I can do is vote for the budget.”
“That’s right,” Crimm said. “This is retaliation for me filing that suit against this county.”
Foster said the board has done the best it can to craft a balanced budget.
“I hate to see Travis lose an employee, but by the same token we bent over backwards to try to keep this budget level and try to keep from raising taxes this year. Every department requested an increase this year. I know the sheriff’s department would love to have an increase and put more deputies on patrol. Quint (Carver) needed an extra employee. It breaks my heart to see one of the employees to have to be laid off, but we struggled with this.”
“I’m getting cut so that everybody else can get a five percent increase in pay,” Gilmore said.
“Everyone in Travis’ office got a raise two years ago, and no one else in the county did,” Dew said.
“That was because of education benchmarks,” Crimm said. “You don’t know the difference between a raise and an educational benchmark do you?
“We have employees in other offices that have to go to continuing education just to keep their jobs, and they don’t get a pay increase,” Dew said.
“That’s not my problem,” Crimm said.
“Everything’s not your problem Travis,” Dew said. “But this one is.”
“Well y’all are fixing to have a problem too,” Crimm said. “I can’t start collections until December 26 because I don’t have the staff. That means you won’t get your money on this other stuff until almost March. I’m sorry, but you’re punishing the taxpayers.”
“We can make it,” Dew said.
“Y’all are going to punish the taxpayers is what you’re doing,” Crimm said. “What did you say, Mrs. Dew, that it won’t hurt the taxpayers to stand in line a little longer?”
“That’s exactly right,” Dew said.
“When I first got here and took this office over there were people standing in line for an hour and a half to two hours to pay their taxes,” Crimm said. “I cut it to 20 minutes at the most now.”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Dew said. “Pat yourself on the back somewhere else.”
“I will because I’ve done my job,” Crimm said.
“I’m calling for a motion and if we don’t get a motion this conversation will be over,” Collins said.
No motion was made.
Crimm told The Herald after the meeting that this will likely be his last term if things don’t change. He said when lines start getting long in his office, he’ll have signs up that notify taxpayers to contact their supervisor with complaints.
“I want to apologize to the taxpayers of Yazoo County,” he said. “I have no control over this. The board made the decision to make these cuts, and my office was the only one that got cut. I always try to do what’s best for the taxpayers, and what this board did is going to hurt the taxpayers most of all.”
