Oktibbeha County Board Removes Administrator in a Split Vote

Oktibbeha County Board Removes Administrator in a Split Vote

Delois Farmer, the County Administrator of Oktibbeha, Mississippi, has been ousted from her position by a 3-2 decision taken by the Board of Supervisors. The turnout at the chancery courthouse on Tuesday revealed unexpected proceedings, as what was prepared to be a budget workshop aimed to involve heads of various departments turned into a lengthy executive session debrief.

A Split Vote for a “New Direction”

The leader in bringing the dismissal into discussion, District 1 Supervisor Ben Carver, called for an executive session to assess an employee’s performance. This hour-long closed session resulted in a further postponement of the budget workshop and led to the eventual vote for Farmer’s removal from office. Carver, along with District 4 Supervisor Pattie Little and District 3 Supervisor Marvell Howard—the board president—voted in favor of cutting Farmer off from her duties effective immediately. District 2’s Orlando Trainer and Vice-President Joe Williams of District 5 opposed this decision.

“We need to steer the county in a different direction” was the only explanation provided by Howard post the meeting, refusing to delve into the details of issues the supervisors may have had with Farmer. Both Carver and Little seconded this stance by citing the confidentiality of the executive session debates concerning a “personnel matter.”

Carver added that the move should not be seen as a “termination,” but as an opportunity for Farmer to resign, an argument which Trainer firmly disagreed with, stating: “My understanding from the action of the board is she was terminated.”

A Tenure Grounded in Dedication

Farmer had stepped into the role of a county administrator in July 2021, succeeding Emily Garrard. She had been involved in county affairs since the late 1990s, starting out as a bookkeeper before assuming the roles of deputy elections clerk and the comptroller under Garrard in 2014.

Stating her gratitude for the opportunities provided to her, Farmer showed a positive outlook towards her abrupt departure: “I’m grateful for the opportunity and most excited for my next chapter. I thank everyone for supporting me during my years of employment.”

Sudden Removal Surprises Many

Vice-President Joe Williams expressed disappointment over the decision, admiring Farmer as a “dedicated employee” and emphasising her superior job performance. He said: “Ms. Farmer did a superb job as county administrator. She carried the county’s interests in her mind at all times.”

Trainer, too, criticised the sudden decision, portraying it as a service disservice to a well-performing long-time employee. He also suggested that the firing was driven more by personal reasons than professional considerations.

County Administrators Role – Vacant

The recent upheaval has resulted in the immediate vacancy of a crucial position in the county administration. Discussions are underway to temporarily fill the vacant county administrator seat, with options ranging from outside contractors to experienced employees already in the county.

Despite the controversy over Farmer’s dismissal, all five supervisors maintained that their primary goal is to hire a full-time, efficient replacement for the county administrator position as quickly as possible.