OKTIBBEHA COUNTY – An annual Talking Warrior Water Association meeting descended into chaos Monday evening after members raised concerns about bylaw violations, financial discrepancies and a lack of communication between the association and its customers.
At one point, board president Joe Williams resigned, but he was later reinstated. The meeting eventually adjourned with no action, rescheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 4 at The Ellis Events Center on Williams Road.
Much of the discussion centered on disagreements between Williams, who also is the District 5 Oktibbeha County supervisor, and Kim Moreland, an association member and Ward 1 Starkville alderwoman.
Talking Warrior is one of several rural water providers in Oktibbeha County, serving residents southwest of Starkville city limits located in parts of the Old Highway 25 overpass, Cedar Grove Road, South Lake Road, Longview Road and Bethel Road. Its board members are elected by association members and serve as volunteers with a $50 per month stipend. It operates under oversight from the Mississippi State Department of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The meeting began cordially but quickly devolved after Moreland, citing a financial report she said obtained from USDA, challenged Williams’ claim the association is “healthy financially.”
The document shows Talking Warrior operating at an $86,000 deficit in 2023, nearly double its $48,808 shortfall the year before.
“That’s old information,” Williams said. “… Our association is growing all the time. … You might not want to check USDA. You might want to check CB&S Bank, and you’ll see how much money really is in the association.”
Williams presented a document showing approximately $116,000 in the association’s accounts, split between a business account and two certificates of deposit. When Moreland asked why that wasn’t reflected in the USDA report, Williams again replied, “Don’t just stick with USDA. You can go to CB&S Bank … and see how much money Talking Warrior has.”
In 2022 and 2023, the report shows the association with 586 connected meters. Moreland, referencing a Golden Triangle Planning Development District map, said the certificated area should include about 799 connections. She argued this means some residents aren’t being billed or served.
“I can go ahead and list 20 other people that have been asking for a meter, and the people in this room are supporting that (financially). And it’s not fair,” Moreland said. “This is about accountability.”
Williams said there are 613 meters currently hooked up to the association.
“We have people that go around looking for people that are not paying every day,” Williams said. “Every day we are looking for people that are not paying. We’ve got people that are busy doing that.”
Tensions escalated when Williams accused Moreland’s RV park, located on Louisville Street in southwest Starkville, of underpaying for water. Moreland said she pays $3,000 a month for water. Williams claimed that only covers 75% of the water hookups, but Moreland is charging all tenants directly and pocketing the difference.
Moreland adamantly denied that allegation, saying she does not charge the RV park tenants for water.
Issues with the board
Another member complained of inaccurate billing and unresponsiveness from the association, problems he said have persisted for nearly a year. Members also raised concerns about the board’s failure to comply with its bylaws, which require an audit report be presented at annual meetings, as well as elections for board members.
Tom Abernathy and Chris Shelton, representatives from the Mississippi Rural Water Association, attended the meeting at USDA’s request following “so many complaints” from members about the association. Abernathy advised the group to hold a special-call meeting to air further concerns and abide by the association’s bylaws to elect board members.
Currently, the board has only two members: Williams and Keith Thompson. Williams was the sole board member present during the meeting, though any motion he made could get a second and vote from members present.
Abernathy explained the board should have three members, each serving staggered one-, two- or three-year terms.
“If it hasn’t been done correctly (and) you don’t have any proof that it was done last year correctly or the years before, the best thing to do is to start all over,” Abernathy said. “Elect one for one year, one for two years and one for three years.”
Williams then brought Helen Moore and Felisha Jones to be “confirmed” as new board members, but Abernathy said members must nominate and vote on board positions. Moore and Moreland were nominated, and the vote ended in a tie. Moreland suggested voters show proof of their water bills to proceed.
Amid the confusion, Williams moved to resign as president, but rescinded it after conferring with Abernathy, Shelton and the meeting’s notetaker. Abernathy then recommended scheduling another meeting with proper notice to elect three board members.
“Nothing else … can be discussed that night,” Abernathy said. “… That will give everybody the opportunity to come back, and hopefully, if y’all have 500-something people, we’ll have 500-something people here voicing their opinion.”
Williams moved to follow the recommendation, and the motion passed without objection.
Broader implications
After the meeting, Williams denied communication and accountability problems. He said payments are recorded from all transactions and someone is responsible for taking Talking Warrior calls day or night.
“Its all about accountability,” he told The Dispatch. “It’s nothing like nobody’s trying to hide anything or nothing like that. So how much more honest can you get?”
Williams said some of the complaints of the concerns were just “blowing smoke.”
“None of those complaints is legitimate,” he said. “Not one single one of them.”
Moreland said issues with Talking Warrior reflect a “bigger picture” of problems with many rural water associations in Starkville and Oktibbeha County.
Utilities have certificated monopolies in their service areas, determined by the Mississippi Public Service Commission. When a city annexes territory, those rural utilities still hold their certificate unless they surrender it.
“The city of Starkville can’t expand because these are the people in charge of what areas we would take in. … We have to be held to a higher standard as a municipality, why do they not have to? … Rural water is not a problem. Accountability in rural water (is).”
Similar complaints have drawn state-level attention. Last year, District 43 Rep. Rob Roberson, R-Starkville, introduced a bill that would have allowed the Mississippi Public Service Commission to determine whether rural water associations with territory lying within Starkville could adequately serve their certificated areas. If not, Starkville Utilities could assume service for properties within city limits.
That effort arose from capacity issues with Clayton Village Water Association, which has the certificate for territory the city annexed in 2022. Talking Warrior and Rockhill are the only other two rural water associations with territory inside Starkville.
The bill died without a vote, but Roberson said he expects a rural water reform bill to be pushed in the next session.
Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill, who supported the bill, said her position on rural water associations hasn’t changed.
“I am fully supportive of rural water associations, unless and until they can’t support the growth of the city,” Spruill told The Dispatch Tuesday. “… I think rural water associations have served, over the years, a purpose that was served by no one else. But at some point they are outgrown, and in this case, I think that’s one of the issues that Starkville has is that rural water associations surrounding the city and Oktibbeha County are unable to support the level of growth and development that the city and surrounding areas are seeing. To me, that’s an unacceptable result.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 26 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
