A moonlighting Vicksburg police officer is being accused of cutting off Claiborne County’s phones, including 911, while miffed at not being paid a $100 consulting fee.

Stemming from the same incident, the Claiborne County administrator has been suspended during an investigation into his dealing with the Vicksburg phone firm reportedly hired to design a phone system for county operations.

Mike Espy, former congressman and now attorney for the Claiborne Board of Supervisors, said this morning that Troy Kimble, a full-time patrolman for the Vicksburg Police Department, shut down the county’s phones while working as an independent contractor for Delta Communications of Vicksburg, apparently after learning his fee wasn’t approved.

&#8220We had a board meeting on Sept. 5, and the phones were shut down Sept. 7,” Espy said. &#8220911 service was restored that afternoon but the phone system wasn’t restored until around Sept. 12.”

Vicksburg Police Chief Tommy Moffett said this morning he did not know about Kimble’s involvement with the Claiborne County Board of Supervisors. He did say, however, that police officers are allowed to work outside the department, with his approval.

&#8220I didn’t know Troy Kimble was working somewhere else,” he said. &#8220They have to fill out a form and get my approval. But I am not aware of that happening. I don’t remember approving it.”

Espy said supervisors refused to pay the $100 fee to Kimble &#8220for attending a meeting in which the board president wasn’t there.” He said a representative from Delta Communications was to have simply addressed supervisors on the company’s services and products.

But that didn’t happen, Espy said, and Kimble disconnected service two days later.

&#8220He heard about the board not paying and he shut it off,” he said. &#8220I called Mr. Kimball myself and talked to him maybe 5 minutes. I demanded he restore service immediately because it put the county in a crisis, and he hung up on me.”

Espy has been the board’s interim attorney since May, following the slaying of Allen Burrell, who was gunned down March 17 outside his office by former county Road Manager Carl Brandon.

An investigation has been launched into the matter. Claiborne County Administrator James Miller’s suspension is part of that investigation, Espy said.

&#8220Yesterday, I began an investigation and met all day with the board of supervisors,” Espy said. &#8220I have been authorized to conduct this investigation and take the trail wherever it leads. We will do what we need to do.”

Miller, suspended indefinitely without pay Sept. 14, called the board’s move against him unwarranted.

&#8220This action that has been taken is an unwanted political assassination on me,” Miller said. &#8220I have not done anything wrong. I don’t understand it.”

Espy said Miller was suspended because supervisors &#8220found a relationship between the county and Delta was not written. So they decided, out of abundance of caution, to suspend Mr. Miller.”

Under state law, counties may act legally only through written agreements and make payments only when reflected by votes recorded in board minutes. Corporate vendors also are to be registered to do business in Mississippi.

Claiborne County Sheriff Frank Davis, among others, has repeatedly for several months complained to supervisors about a lack of reliable phone service.

The president of Delta Communications, Edwin Mitchell, could not be reached this morning.

The Secretary of State’s Web site listed no corporation actively chartered as Delta Communications.