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"When we get those numbers together and those figures together, we'll come back," said Wilson, who did not elaborate. "So we'll take it under advisement."
Wilson, who is also a candidate for Brookhaven mayor, later refused to comment on the situation involving MDWF&P - despite an earlier pledge to do so. Following the May 18 board meeting, Wilson disputed a report saying he would not speak until after the June 2 city election, arguing his comment was that he would not speak until the June 1 board meeting.
Instead of forcing MDWF&P out of the building and assigning the space to the growing Lincoln County Tax Assessor's Office, Watts suggested the building be renovated and expanded for use by both agencies.
Watts said the building has plenty of room for both agencies, including exterior space that can be enclosed. More space will be available once the Lincoln County Jail's kitchen moves across the parking lot into the sheriff's department, he said.
"It's like grandma's kitchen - plenty for everybody and nobody goes away hungry," Watts said. "I've studied the building and I think it would be the best thing for Lincoln County, the game and fish commission and the tax office. I've been earnest about this, prayed about this and I am for Game and Fish staying in Lincoln County."
Watts' reversal of will brings him into alignment with more than 1,000 signers of a recent petition calling on supervisors to recant their decision. Public sentiment against supervisors' decision has grown since MDWF&P announced it would move its District Five headquarters to Percy Quin State Park in McComb, a move that would result in thousands of dollars in business done by wildlife agents and their customers gone from the local economy.
Brookhaven Monument Company owner and petition author Dave Pace did not attend Monday's meeting to present the final tally of signatures, however.
"The citizens done (the petition) on their own, and that tells you they don't want (MDWF&P) to leave," Watts said after the meeting. "Besides that, I don't want them to leave. They're needed here. I can't get (the board) to come to a vote."
During Monday's meeting, District Four Supervisor Doug Moak defended the board's decision to allow MDWF&P's lease to expire, saying the decision was not made in haste.
"The decision was made in February (January), and now there's a big crisis," he said. "I would like to have seen the wildlife commission make a little more concessions to Brookhaven. I think if they wanted to stay in Brookhaven, they could."
While supervisors take MDWF&P under advisement, the clock is ticking. Though the department is not scheduled to move to Percy Quin until after September, money spent on renovating offices there would likely result in a commitment to leaving Brookhaven. MDWF&P Spokesman Jim Walker said the plan to move to Percy Quin remains in effect.
"If we receive something from that board of supervisors we will consider it," Walker said when asked if his department would remain in Brookhaven if supervisors reversed themselves. "We have our site picked out but we haven't started renovating yet. If there's any action from the board, we will await that decision."
Monday's meeting was a place for other firsts as well.
Supervisors received the first public showing of support for their decision to allow MDWF&P's lease to expire from one of their own - Lincoln County Multi-Purpose Commission member Pat McCullough. McCullough worked the boardroom like a courtroom, building a case that Brookhaven has no real need for a MDWF&P district office.
"They're about as useful as buying a steer and putting it in the pasture as a herd animal - they're there, but they ain't gonna produce nothing," he said.
Supporters of MDWF&P attended the meeting as well. Former state Rep. Dr. Jim Barnett told supervisors the city would lose prestige by ousting the wildlife department.
"So many towns are searching, trying to get state agencies in their communities, and here we are trying to get rid of one," he said.
