LIBERTY Every year the county board of supervisorsdonates $100 to the Department of Human Services, a paltry sumconsidering the social workers' increasing caseload and theneeds of the county's neglected, according to a departmentofficial.
Tonya Rogillio, area social work supervisor for the Departmentof Human Services, spoke to the board during its meeting Mondaymorning and asked for an increase.
Of the $100, $75 helps pay for various items foster childrenmight need and assists their families with utility bills and otherliving costs. The remaining $25 helps pay for needy senior citizens'housing and utility costs.
While the state's supply of money is dwindling in thestruggling economy, the department is being hit with more andmore calls for assistance, according to Rogillio, who said the$100 allowance is an outdated sum.
"That amount has been the same for over 20 years,"she said, adding that while 20 years ago one social worker handled10 cases, now four workers try to deal with more than 100 cases.
Rogillio asked for an increase to $300 and the supervisorssaid they would consider the request.
"A lot of it is spent on foster children, basically thecounty's orphans," she said. "They should not beeconomically deprived because we cannot afford it."
Rogillio said Walthall County supervisors donate $600 everyyear. The Franklin County board gives $100, but Rogillio notedthat that area sees one-third the amount of cases as Amite Countysocial workers deal with.
The same Amite County human services workers that dealt with30 cases in 1998 were swamped with 146 reports of abuse, neglectand requests for assistance in 2002. So far this year, they haveresponded to 63 reports.
If the supervisors agree to the raise, some of the money wouldbe used to help pay for high school graduation rings and photosfor two foster children, Rogillio said.
The state pays the four social workers' salaries and provided$3,500 last year for the agency's operating fund. The allocationis based on the number of children in the custody of the countyand reports investigated.
"We borrow and steal to get what we need for our childrento give them some semblance of a normal life," Rogillio saidthis morning.
In other matters, the board:
Heard from Hirschel Pearson, who wanted the board torecognize the Amite County girl's track team for winningthe 3-A state championship the last four years.
Approved hiring District 1 part-time employee John Knightat $1,200 per year, District 3 part-time employee Jerry Dickensat $1,000 per year and District 5 part-time employee Anthony Cameronat $1,270 per year.
Approved diverting $3,508 from a state grant fund topay for basic emergency medical technician training for 20 volunteerEMTs. The money pays for the training school at Southwest MississippiRegional Medical Center June 16 to Oct. 30, books and registrationfees.
Approved Tax Assessor Jennifer Lindsey's trip toBiloxi this month for an appraisal course. The four-day coursecosts $450 and the board will also pay for course materials, lodgingand meals.
Heard District 4 Supervisor Travis Taylor say the boardshould look into whether or not the county has a zoning law thatmakes it difficult for a strip club to open in the county. Hesaid he did not want such a business opening in the area. Taylor'sremarks were in response to a story about a Woodville strip clubthat ran in Sunday's Enterprise-Journal.
Renewed a contract with Bateaste Janitorial Serviceto clean the courthouse every two weeks at a rate of $250 permonth and the welfare building every two weeks at a rate of $350per month.
