Voting precincts were the subject of a hot debate with the supervisors on Monday.

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, every county must have a handicapped accessible voting machine at each of its precincts by Jan. 1, 2006.

Circuit Clerk Joe Reid told the supervisors that the county had 27 precincts and the estimated cost for each machine is $5,000. That would be a total cost of $135,000.

Reid said he felt like the supervisors should go look at the machines in action during the upcoming November election.

"DeSoto, Lafayette and Grenada County already have the machines," he said. "You really should go look at them."

Reid said in addition to the new machines, the county would need to make every voting place handicapped accessible by adding wheelchair ramps and, if needed, special door handles.

"There might be some that need a lever action door that they can open," he said. "No matter what we have to be in compliance no later than Jan. 1, 2006."

The state has approximately $22 million available in funds to help with the purchase of the new voting machines, Reid said.

"But every county will be trying to get the money for voting machines," he said. "It is a first come, first serve basis."

Supervisor Jerry Perkins asked if consolidating some of the precincts would be a possibility.

"Grenada has about 1,000 more people voting than we do and they only have 13 precincts," Reid said.

Board attorney William McKenzie told the board if they planned to consolidate polling places they needed to have it planned out.

"You can’t just decide to do this a month before the election," he said. "It still has to go to the Justice Department for approval and they may turn you down."

Perkins suggested all of the supervisors look at the precincts in their districts and see if any consolidation can take place.

One more issue facing the board in its attempt to come into compliance is having polling places on private property.

"At one time all of the polling places were public buildings like schools," he said. "If it is a school or somewhere like a city hall, there won’t be a problem.

"But I don’t think it would be wise if we were to make these upgrades on private property without some kind of assurance we will get to use it for a while," McKenzie said.

"You don’t want to do the work and then have someone tell you three years later saying they’re tired of us."

The completion of Ballentine Road is on hold until an unhappy contractor receives payment for work.

Nolan West, owner of W & W Contractors of Sardis, appeared before the Panola County Board of Supervisors asking for payment on the project.

"By what I have figured, there is approximately $131,000 worth of work that I have not been paid for," he said.

West said the road needed more gravel than what was originally bid on.

"The job has taken twice as much gravel as needed," he said.

County engineer Pete Sullivan said he had crews cross-sectioning the road to evaluate its condition.

"I have no doubt that there is twice as much gravel there, I just don’t know why it is there," he said.

Sullivan said the original specs indicated 12 inches of gravel would be needed for the road and there are 25 inches of gravel on the road now.

"The plans for the road are right, but the gravel is there," he said.

West said one reason for the additional gravel was a change in supplier during the project.
"I had to change the gravel during the project because of the sand gravel coming out of one pit," he said. "It wasn’t setting up the way it needed to."

"People were calling because they were getting stuck in the road because it was too sandy," Supervisor Robert Avant said. "So the gravel had to be changed to keep people from getting stuck in the road."

Avant said he wants to see the road finished as soon as possible.

"I think if we know the gravel is there, he should be paid," Avant said.

Sullivan explained that the road is being paid for by State Aid funds and the use of additional gravel and the widening of the road would have to be justified.

"I am going to have to tell them why the road is so deep and wide," he said.

Avant asked West when the road would get graded again.

"That road is rough and there are people complaining," he said. "When will it be graded?"
West said the road would be graded again as soon as he receives payment for the work he has completed.

"I’ve got over $130,000 tied up on the project now," he said. "That came out of my own pocket and I won’t do anything else until I get payment.

"I pulled off this job and started on another," he said. "I have people and vendors that have to be paid, so I had to take a job I would get paid on."
Avant said he still couldn’t understand why the road could not be graded.