County board 1 April 2019: Pit bulls, politics and public money -

County Board 1 April 2019:

The lead-off item at the Monday meeting of the Union County Board of Supervisors was a complaint about a dog. The animal is said to be menacing a rural neighborhood.

Susan Brockway said her family lives north of the New Albany limits near Highway 15. The owner of a dog, described by her as a “pit bull,” allows it to run free in the neighborhood. Therefore, she is afraid to let her children outside to play for fear the dog might attack them. She said the dog has come on to her property, knocked over trash cans, etc.

Brockway said another neighbor has a large dog confined by an electronic fence. The unrestrained pit bull taunts the restrained dog, causing it to break through its electronic restraints.

Union County has an ordinance allowing law enforcement to take action if a dog is vicious. However, there is no “leash law” requiring owners to keep dogs and other domestic animals restrained at all times.

The supervisors asked County Attorney Chandler Rogers to check with nearby counties to determine the feasibility of an ordinance with stronger requirements for the restraint of domestic animals.

Sheriff Jimmy Edwards said he would contact the pit bull’s owner and try to determine appropriate action.

Politics and administering public funds

Union County business woman Kathy Chism, a candidate for the Republican nomination for the open District 3 seat in the Mississippi state senate, appeared before the Board of Supervisors to introduce herself.

The board agreed to place an $8.5 million trust fund on deposit at BancorpSouth, at an annual interest rate of 2.1 percent. Supervisors must keep the money on deposit to assure medical care in the unlikely event that Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County ceases to operate the hospital. The hospital is owned by Union County, which leases it to Baptist Memorial Healthcare. Under the trust agreement the county may spend the earning from the money on health care needs.

The board also conducted its routine business, including