Illegal 2013 meetings by the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors started a five-year battle between the county and private citizen Tommy Williams, of Marion, that ended Friday after the county dropped its appeal of a ruling that favored Williams. 

Williams filed a complaint in January of 2014 with the Mississippi Ethics Commission alleging then board members met two-on-two about a $14 million bond in 2013 instead of having an open, public meeting.

The state’s Open Meetings Act requires that gatherings of three or more elected officials, when discussing public policy, must be public. 

One year later, the ethics commission agreed with Williams, saying board members had violated the Open Meetings Act by meeting in groups of two in an attempt to circumvent the law that requires meetings with three officials to be publicized. In the complaint, Williams details how two supervisors met with the same consultant to discuss a $14 million bond, followed by two other supervisors the same day in a separate meeting. 

Within the month of the ethics commission decision, the board appealed the ruling in the Lauderdale County Chancery Court. It finally dropped its appeal on Friday after more than three years.

“The legal and factual findings of the Miss. Ethics Commission are hereby final,” the dismissal, signed by both parties, states.

The ethics commission didn’t fine the board, ordering only that the board refrain from further violations of the Open Meetings Act. 

Attorney Stephen Wilson, of Meridian, and Shadrack White, of the Mississippi Justice Institute, represented Williams Friday. Mike Hurst previously represented Williams before Hurst left the Institute of Justice to become a U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi. 

Attorney Lee Thaggard, whose firm Barry, Thaggard, May and Bailey, LLP represents the county, and County Administrator Chris Lafferty, didn’t respond to a Meridian Star email Friday requesting comment. 

This is one of six complaints by Williams against the board, which declined a request a motion by Williams to combine the complaints in order to reduce costs for both parties. 

In February of this year, Barry’s firm charged the county $2,900.55 for four separate Williams’ cases, just a fraction of the $22,394.03 bill with itemized costs from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6. 

TIMELINE OF WILLIAMS’ ETHICS COMPLAINT 

March 2013, Tommy Williams contends the then Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors met two-on-two with advisers to see if it could bond for $14 million, in addition to the $10 million roads bond that it had begun adding to the budget each year. Williams contended the meetings should have been open to the public.

• April 1, 2013, the board meets and announces it would borrow the $14 million bond without open discussion.

• Jan. 6 2014, Williams files complaint with the Mississippi Ethics Commission, saying county violated open meetings law.

• Jan. 9, 2015 – Ethics Commission rules in Williams’ favor.

• Jan. 29, 2015 – Lauderdale County appeals the ruling

• Feb. 2, 2016 – Chancery Clerk files motion to dismiss for lack of prosecution.

• March 2, 2016 – County asks for a status conference, which delayed a ruling.

• June 15, 2018 – Lauderdale County drops appeal in Chancery Court.