JACKSON- State Auditor Stacey Pickering announced that the Office of the State Auditor served a demand yesterday, March 5, on Warren County Circuit Clerk Shelly Palmertree in the amount of $661,751.75 for two violations.

The amount of $402,033.00 was attributed to Palmertree exceeding the fee cap, and $163,700.00 was attributed to her making payments to relatives within the first degree of kinship.  By exceeding the circuit clerk fee cap, Palmertree violated Mississippi Code Section 9-1-43, which provides a salary limitation of $90,000.00 for both chancery and circuit clerks after any expenses are paid.

The demand issued against Palmertree includes $565,733.00 in principal; $83,673.00 in interest; and $12,345.75 in investigative costs.

Additionally, the Office of the State Auditor has received correspondence that the Warren County Board of Supervisors has issued a Notice of Withholding, instructing the Warren County Chancery Clerk to withhold all wages due Palmertree until all funds owed to Warren County have been paid in full.

“This has been an ongoing issue for several years, and I commend the Warren County Board of Supervisors for continuing to hold Palmertree accountable for her actions and issues related to her job performance,” said State Auditor Stacey Pickering.

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