LIBERTY — Amite County supervisors said farewell to two longtime county officials Wednesday, who between them, represented more than 40 years of service to the county.
Supervisors noted Wednesday’s meeting would be the last time Chancery Clerk Ronny Taylor and District 5 Supervisor Max Lawson would convene around the boardroom table in the courthouse, a routine they’ve become accustomed to for the last 20 years.
Taylor, in office since 1996, announced his retirement earlier in the year. Deputy Chancery Clerk Jana Causey won the November general election and will be sworn in Jan. 1.
Meanwhile, District 5 Supervisor Max Lawson lost re-election to first-time candidate Rickie Williams Sr. in the Democratic primary in August
Upon his departure in January, Lawson will have served six consecutive terms for a total of 24 years. Lawson said he takes pride in the fact he followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a supervisor. His father, Ed Lawson, served the county for 20 years.
When Williams begins his term this January, he will break a 44-year run by the Lawsons in District 5.
Ironically, both Lawsons started their first term at the age of 38 — the same age Williams will be when he takes office.
After Wednesday’s meeting, Lawson said his goodbyes to the board and met with Williams. Lawson said he wanted to do his best to prepare Williams for what to expect in his role as District 5 supervisor.
“I was telling him what to expect, a little bit about the board meetings, that kind of thing,” he said.
Williams has attended the last two supervisor meetings to get a feel for the position.
Lawson said he thanks the citizens of Amite County for keeping him in office for so long.
Taylor’s last bit of board business was to brief supervisors on the digitization of county records.
He cited more than $100,000 in records damage from the manual search of records books. The damage increased due to the volume of people searching for information when the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale oil play was at its height.
“It’s no one’s fault. They’re just fragile. When you get so many people looking at these records, that’s what happens. The books wear out,” he said.
With access to records online, the county will be able to preserve and protect that information, which dates all the way back to 1809. Taylor said the work should be completed in the next couple months.
“To make a long story short, be patient with Jana. We know where we’re headed. We know what we have to do. I think that at the end of the day we are going to get more than enough to pay for this project.”
A total of $214,000 has already been spent on the project. Taylor estimated an additional $60,000 to 70,000 will be needed to complete the project. He has been able to convince representatives of the oil and gas industry to put up most of the cost.
“This benefits us — and them. When I explained that to them, they decided to help out. To them, time is money. The faster they can access these records the better for them,” he said.
“For us, it’s about preserving and protecting our records. Down the road, it’ll also be a source of revenue,” he said. Taylor wrapped up by thanking supervisors and board attorney Reggie Jones for his assistance over the years.
“We couldn’t have done it without y’all’s support. I have enjoyed working with you for the past 20-something years,” he said.
“We’ve enjoyed working with you,” board president Jackie Whittington said.
“We sure have and we hate to see you go,” District 4 Supervisor Butch Graves said.
Although Taylor didn’t say he had any particular plans post-retirement, he did excitedly note he will be attending the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans between the Ole Miss and Oklahoma State, proudly noting that he has good seats.
