Monday, March 5, 2018

MCWA to sue Canton Municipal Utilities for $2.2 million

It appears the Madison County Wastewater Authority and Canton Municipal Utilities will be going to court.  The Madison County Journal reported last week:

The Madison County Wastewater Authority voted on Tuesday to proceed with a $2.2 million lawsuit against Canton Municipal Utilities over depreciation costs paid since 2004.

In 2017, the MCWA board voted to hire David Mockbee as special counsel to look into the working agreement with CMU and payments made over the years.

On Tuesday, the MCWA board voted 6-1 for Mockbee to file suit against CMU. Those voting in favor were: Buddy Voelkel, representing Bear Creek Water Association; Woody Holt, representing Lake Lorman Utility District; Keith O’Keefe, representing Madison County Board of Supervisors; Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler, representing Madison the City; John Sigman, representing the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District; and Letitia Reeves, representing the West Madison Utility District.

Ridgeland Mayor Gene F. McGee abstained from the vote. Bradford Blackmon, representing CMU, was the lone nay vote.

According to the lawsuit, MCWA entered into an agreement with “CMU to provide transportation and treatment of MCWA’s wastewater at the Beattie’s Bluff Wastewater Treatment Facility.” MCWA paid CMU for their services related to this agreement.

However, the lawsuit alleges that “unbeknownst to the MCWA, until Fiscal Year 2016, CMU wrongfully charged MCWA and MCWA paid approximately $2.2 million in depreciation costs for CMU’s one-half interest in the Beattie’s Bluff Facility as part of annual payments made since 2004.”

The lawsuit claims the charging of depreciation, not a true cost to CMU, was breach of the agreement signed in 2004. In addition, lease payments of $5,000 per year that CMU was supposed to pay MCWA for Beattie’s Bluff weren’t paid since July 2004 to the tune of $70,000.

The lawsuit also states that for fiscal years 2015-2016, CMU did not purchase the contractually-required insurance for Beattie’s Bluff.

In 2016, it was discovered that CMU had been paying insurance premiums to Roberts Insurance of Canton but no policies had been bought. The total cost of the policies was estimated to be around $70,000.

Board members directed calls for comment to Mockbee. Attempts to contact Mockbee by press time were unsuccessful. Article.
 Buckle up, boys and girls.  This might be fun to watch. 

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe this will bring enough information to light for criminal charges to be brought against CMU personnel.

Anonymous said...

CMU should be shut down.Been nothing but a cash cow for a long long time.

Anonymous said...

Bradford Blackmon representing CMU? ROFLMAO No conflict of interest there, no sir.

Anonymous said...

Somebody help me out. If I keep sending my insurance agent a check but he doesn't write or renew the policy, shouldn't I be suing him too?

Did Roberts even reach out to the wastewater folks and say thanks for the check for, well, doing nothing at all?

Who keeps up with the dec pages at renewal? Why wasn't this caught sooner?

Anonymous said...

Press Release Issued by Mayor Ed Blackmon: Nothing to see here keep moving FBI, Stacey Pickering, cousin Jim Hood. Canton is above the law!

Anonymous said...

I need someone to help me understand why all of these shenanigans can continue to go on and no law enforcement agency will investigate it. If they can't see the corrupt actions being taken by the elected officials and appointed board members then they need to be replaced What are they afraid of? Is it that they will be called racist for investigating it? Are they afraid for their jobs? Something has to give in Madison County! How much proof do they need? It's as simple as following the money. I for one, as a long time resident of Madison County am tired of it.

Anonymous said...


@ 8:44...

Before you turn in tonight, go outside and look up.

You will see a dark sky with no light (probably even some storm clouds tonight).

This is CMU.

No white politician, or gubment run agency has the nutts to mess with them because of the carefully engineered politically correct environment we live in. Too much to lose and too little to gain.

However, Mockbee is a badass and his clients may well have chosen the right path to put the fear of God in CMU. They better get ready to write some checks, cause Mockbee ain't cheap.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget Rudy. He can be black when he needs to be. Once you get in that SUV of his, with the dark windows, everybody is the same color.

Anonymous said...

Was someone at that insurance company on the CMU board?

Anonymous said...

Pickering and Hood will do nothing to clean up Canton. Both Blackmons represent Canton in the legislature, yet they live in Jackson. Rudy has influence over the DA, the state auditor and AG Hood. Nothing will be done. Absolutely nothing.

Anonymous said...

A few thoughts:

1. I'll bet the insurance issue was CMU using their board member John Noble at Roberts Insurance Agency. It sounds like CMU was supposed to keep insurance on the facilities, and did not.

2. It appears CMU was supposed to operate the facilities on behalf of the sewer board, and get compensated for it. And CMU is allegedly overcharging.

3. Checking dates, it appears that some of this alleged overcharging started under John Wallace.

4. I wonder why Mayor McGee abstained? Is he on Canton's side? South Madison County entities Madison, PRV, Bear Creek, and Lake Lorman voted for it. So why wouldn't Ridgeland?

5. The Blackmons are everywhere in this.

6. When will Ridgeland residents question why Ridgeland is even involved with this board? They send their sewer to Jackson, yet pay big money to help cover expenses for this Madison county sewer board. And they don't even use it. Pissing money away.

7. Why does Madison County have a vote? Just curious. They aren't a utility. Isn't Keith O'Keefe with Waggoner or Neel Schaffer? Does he work for the county now?

Anonymous said...

I'm poster @8:58 above. To clarify on point #7, I'm not saying Madison County or Keith O"Keefe is doing anything wrong. I'm really just curious. Because the other voters seemed to represent utilities. Just hoping for some clarification.

Anonymous said...

Wait. Bradford Blackmon for CMU? That is hilarious. They aren't even trying to hide it anymore.

Anonymous said...

From what I hear Rudy was moved out of Canton. His building has a Lee Hawkins for sale sign in the window. Rumor is he is becoming a preacher.

Anonymous said...

@11:43 I'm not saying that Rudy is Joel Osteen, but I've never seen Rudy and Joel Osteen in the same place at the same time. Makes one wonder.



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