Warren County Tax Collector Pat Simrall said Tuesday she will end her 39 years of county government service at the end of the month, adding another possible office on a previously scant November ballot.

Simrall, 62, had notified office staff and close friends late last week of her decision to retire, one she said was prompted by state retirement eligibility and personal reasons that included the death in November of her longtime friend, George Ward Jr., with whom she had discussed retirement in prior months.

“I enjoyed my work,” Simrall said. “But, it got to where I don’t enjoy it as much. We had already talked about me retiring. After he passed away, I realized that you don’t have that many days ahead. I may live to be 90 or I may live to be 63.”

Simrall’s resignation will be accepted by the Warren County Board of Supervisors April 20 and be effective April 30. An appointee could be named soon thereafter in advance of a special election Nov. 3, already highlighted locally by two seats on the Election Commission and the possibility of a race for 9th Circuit Court Judge. Incumbent Frank Vollor intends to retire effective May 31, with an interim successor to be named by Gov. Haley Barbour.  In the past, the governor has set special election dates when filling vacancies. If he doesn’t, his appointee will serve until the end of Vollor’s regular term in December 2010.

Simrall, the great-great granddaughter of Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Horatio Fleming Simrall, worked in the county’s tax collection office for 13 years when it was an arm of the sheriff’s department. Following a three-year stint at Anderson-Tully, she worked for nine years as a deputy clerk in justice court. Appointed Tax Collector in 1993 to succeed Marguerite Stegall, Simrall witnessed technology change daily office functions and relations with the public ebb and flow with legislative moves on car tag credits. Simrall said relations with supervisors remained good despite differences on key issues such as expansion of the homestead exemption on property taxes.

“My taxpayers have been so good to me. The Board of Supervisors has been very nice to me,” said Simrall, known for being a stickler for details, yet overseer of a smoothly-run office. A successor could have to replace two pending retirements among Simrall’s staff.

“She’s a workaholic, but she straightened up this office,” said Marie Agent, a 17-year employee of the Tax Collector’s Office who, along with 20-year employee Rosemary Gordon, plans retirement this year. “She is going to be missed.”

“She’s among the finest, hardest-working officials we’ve had,” Board of Supervisors President Richard George said, calling Simrall “a close, personal friend” who personifies a model for “anyone wanting to emulate a perfect public official, because they’re hard to come by.”

Simrall had not faced opposition in her last three races since first elected in 1995. She was recognized in 2006 by the Mississippi Assessors and Collectors Association for distinguished service.

Her office is responsible for collecting taxes when due and turning over collections to county and state funds. In Warren County, it is also the receiving agent for municipal taxes in Vicksburg. In addition to car tags, which are treated as annual value-based property taxes in Mississippi, business licenses are sold in the Tax Collector’s Office.  

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Contact Danny Barrett Jr. at dbarrett@vicksburgpost.com