Applications for tax exemptions for three local companies, including one that has laid off 75 workers this year, were approved Monday by the Warren County Board of Supervisors.

The applications for credits for work in 2002 were made by Simpson Dura-Vent, Cooper Lighting and LeTourneau.

Representing Simpson Dura-Vent, attorney Gerald Braddock told the supervisors the company made $614,109 in improvements.

Landy Teller, another Vicksburg attorney, presented the applications for Cooper and LeTourneau. He said Cooper is seeking an exemption on $3,215,467 and LeTourneau is seeing an exemption on $1,292,620.

Joe Osborne, controller for Cooper, said the local plant is marking 50 years of operating in Vicksburg, including the time it was operated by Westinghouse.

In response to a question from District 3 Supervisor Charles Selmon, Osborne said about 75 people of the approximately 950 who work at the plant on U.S. 61 South have been laid off since the first of the year, but because some manufacturing processes formerly done at other plants will be moved to Vicksburg, those jobs should be replaced in September.

“The productivity of the local people at the plant allowed that plant to be removed from a list for potential closing,” said Board President Richard George. “They were able to salvage the company of their own volition.”

Osborne said the plant has a payroll of about $20 million a year.

Donald Cross, LeTourneau vice president, said 750 to 800 people are employed full time and about 250 are contract employees. Pay for the full-time workers totals $22 million to $25 million a year, depending on overtime, he said. The contract workers are paid about $10 million, he said.

“Since we reopened in 1995 we have had about $1 billion in construction,” Cross said, adding that included four Gorilla class oil-drilling rigs.

With the beginning of construction on the first of four, smaller Tarzan class rigs LeTourneau has work on the books through the second quarter of 2006, he said.

If the exemptions are approved at the state level by the Mississippi Tax Commission, the companies will realize savings of $3,664 a year at Simpson Dura-Vent; $15,629 at Cooper; and $7,713 at LeTourneau. The actual savings will depend on the tax millage rates applied during the 10 years of the exemptions.

The exemptions would be for county property taxes only, meaning the companies will still have to pay school and state taxes.

In other business, the board:

Took under advisement proposals from Kay Marley and Associates Inc. of Vicksburg and Mednet Systems Inc. of Gulfport for a company to collect unpaid fines and fees from Warren County Justice Court. They referred the proposals to the Purchasing Department and justice court for study and recommendation.

The proposals resulted from a request from Southern District Justice Court Judge Joe Crevitt for the county to contract with a company to collect the unpaid fines and fees.

Approved the renewal of contracts for the operation of the mental patient holding facility with River Region Health System, Social Services Associates and Private Home Care. The contract calls for Social Services Associates to receive $79,400 per year; psychiatric services to cost $19,950, medical services to cost $75 per visit, Warren-Yazoo Mental Health to receive $12,000 a year; and Private Home Care to receive $10.35 per hour for an attendant.

Approved membership in the state’s beaver-control program for $3,000.

Approved geotechnical investigations of a slide at River Region Medical Center at the request of John McKee, county engineer.

Presented a resolution recognizing the Vicksburg High School powerlifting team for winning the state championship.

Approved a resolution recognizing the Porters Chapel Academy baseball team for winning the state championship.

Was reminded by District 4 Supervisor Bill Lauderdale that the Department of Environmental Quality will conduct a hearing at 9 a.m. June 3 at its office at 2380 Highway 80 in Jackson on the request from the owners to open a 10-acre landfill off Jeff Davis Road for the disposal of household garbage.

“Our board has passed a resolution asking (DEQ) not to allow the landfill to open,” Lauderdale said. “A lot of people who live in the area don’t want it to open.”