Senate Concurrent Resolution 606

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND COMMENDING THE DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVICE OF TATE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION CITIZEN OF THE YEAR WAYNE CROCKETT ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT AS TATE COUNTY CHANCERY CLERK AND FOR 28 YEARS OF COURTHOUSE SERVICE.

WHEREAS, for the last 28 years, Wayne Crockett has been a fixture at Tate County court offices in downtown Senatobia, Mississippi. The longtime Chancery Clerk, who has served since 1999, has announced his retirement effective December 31; and

WHEREAS, born in Thyatira, Crockett, the son of Leroy and Genevieve Crockett, was raised in Independence and attended Independence High School (IHS), where he was named Mr. IHS, Best Athlete, and Most Handsome. After high school, Crockett took courses at Northwest Mississippi Community College, the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University. He eventually returned to Tate County and began a 27-year career with Chromcraft as a tool and die maker; and

WHEREAS, a 28-year Tate County Courthouse veteran, Crockett followed in his father's footsteps when it came to serving his county. His father put in 24 years as a County Supervisor, serving as President for many of those years; and

WHEREAS, Wayne Crockett first spent 12 years as both the county's Property Assessor and Tax Collector before he was elected as the county's Chancery Court Clerk in 1999. After 16 years in that position, he is not running for reelection; and

WHEREAS, Crockett certainly succeeded in improving the level of efficiency and convenience provided to the public upon taking up his courthouse duties. In order to accommodate factory workers who many times only had their lunch break to get errands done, Crockett began keeping the courthouse open during the lunch hour. Other improvements during his tenure: combining all Senatobia and Coldwater taxes with county taxes so the courthouse could be a one-stop-shop for citizens; mailing out renewal cards for car tags and tax statements so taxpayers would know how much they owed before coming to the courthouse to pay; and began collecting delinquent taxes for Senatobia, along with those he collected for the county. As if he did not have enough on his plate as Chancery Clerk, Crockett has also been Secretary for the Tate County Board of Supervisors, County Treasurer, County Auditor, and has been appointed by the court to tend to financial and health decisions of a number of individuals in the community; and

WHEREAS, Wayne Crockett was honored as the Tate County Economic Development Foundation's (EDF) Citizen of the Year at the EDF's Annual Banquet, March 2, 2015, at the Haraway Center on the Northwest Community College Campus; and

WHEREAS, Crockett, a Looxahoma resident, is married to Shirley, and they have two children, Billy and Beth; three grandchildren: Nathan, Nick and Leigh; and two great-grandchildren, Gabriel and Hallie. Crockett is a longtime member of the Rotary Club and of Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church. In his free time, he said he can be found helping his son tend to his cattle. When asked what he has loved about residing in Tate County all these years, he said it all comes down to history. "My family settled in Tate County, and I just feel like Tate County is a big part of who I am"; and it is with great pride that we pay tribute to a wonderful example for public servants, with a record of achievement and a legacy of leadership and dedication to all in Tate County and in the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby recognize and commend the dedicated public service of Wayne Crockett on the occasion of his retirement as Tate County Chancery Clerk and for 28 years of courthouse service, and extend to Wayne and his family the best wishes of the Legislature for future success.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Tate County Chancery Clerk Wayne Crockett, forwarded to the Tate County Board of Supervisors, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.