Panola County, MS elected officials: supervisors, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Panola County: 17 seats on 9 elected bodies.

Board of Supervisors

Panola County Board of Supervisors

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it now
Supervisor, District 1Fred Ira Butts source
Supervisor, District 2Earl L. Burdette source
Supervisor, District 3John F. Thomas source
Supervisor, District 4Chad Weaver source
Supervisor, District 5Cole Flint source

County officers

Panola County Election Commission

OfficeWho holds it now
Election Commissioner, District 1Dorothy Kerney Wilbourn source
Election Commissioner, District 2Brenda Rucker source
Election Commissioner, District 3Wayne Belk source
Election Commissioner, District 4Wanda Lawrence Carmichael source
Election Commissioner, District 5Kaye Smythe source

Also elected countywide

OfficeWho holds it now
Chancery ClerkKatie Ragon source
Circuit ClerkHeather Turner source
CoronerChristopher Gulledge source
County Prosecuting AttorneyC. Gaines Baker source
SheriffShane Phelps source
Tax AssessorO’dell Draper, Jr source
Tax CollectorO’dell Draper, Jr source

How many local governments Panola County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 20 local governments in Panola County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships60
School districts (school boards)20
Special districts (elected boards)110

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Panola County

32,808people
39.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$45,945 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
23.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%
17.7%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$127,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
6.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
4.5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
12.7%U.S.: 8.4%
51.7%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
34.4%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.1% · White 46.5% · Black 48.2% · Asian 0.5% · Other or more than one race 2.6% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Panola County

4.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.3%. Mississippi: 3.3%.
497people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
11,443people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
11,940in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Panola County 0.0%2.7%5.4%8.0%10.7% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.2%49711,44311,940
August 20263.9%46111,43511,896
July 20264.6%55311,53412,087
June 20265.0%60511,54712,152
May 20264.0%48711,64912,136
April 20263.9%47011,59512,065
March 20264.4%53711,54812,085
February 20264.9%59111,46512,056
January 20264.2%50111,40811,909
December 20253.6%44211,72612,168
November 20254.2%51211,62812,140
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.3%52611,69712,223
August 20254.9%59511,60912,204
July 20255.2%63511,62112,256
June 20255.5%67111,60212,273
May 20254.5%54711,62112,168
April 20254.0%48411,62112,105
March 20254.6%56111,54912,110
February 20255.2%62811,48212,110
January 20255.1%61711,44212,059
December 20244.7%55711,41211,969
November 20244.5%53611,32911,865
October 20244.3%50611,28611,792
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.6%56511,60012,165
20244.2%49511,23411,729
20234.0%45110,85911,310
20224.7%54210,96711,509
20217.2%84610,88311,729
202010.2%1,20310,57911,782
20197.0%82511,01511,840
20186.5%78411,19411,978
20177.3%88611,28712,173
20168.0%97711,28212,259

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Mississippi's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.3% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Quick answers

Who is the Panola County Chancery Clerk?
Katie Ragon is the Chancery Clerk of Panola County, Mississippi.
Who is the Panola County Circuit Clerk?
Heather Turner is the Circuit Clerk of Panola County, Mississippi.
Who is the Panola County Coroner?
Christopher Gulledge is the Coroner of Panola County, Mississippi.
Who is the Panola County County Prosecuting Attorney?
C. Gaines Baker is the County Prosecuting Attorney of Panola County, Mississippi.
Who is the Panola County Election Commissioner, District 1?
Dorothy Kerney Wilbourn is the Election Commissioner, District 1 of Panola County, Mississippi.
Who is the Panola County Election Commissioner, District 2?
Brenda Rucker is the Election Commissioner, District 2 of Panola County, Mississippi.
Who is the Panola County Election Commissioner, District 3?
Wayne Belk is the Election Commissioner, District 3 of Panola County, Mississippi.
Who is the Panola County Election Commissioner, District 4?
Wanda Lawrence Carmichael is the Election Commissioner, District 4 of Panola County, Mississippi.
Who is the Panola County Election Commissioner, District 5?
Kaye Smythe is the Election Commissioner, District 5 of Panola County, Mississippi.
Who is the Panola County Sheriff?
Shane Phelps is the Sheriff of Panola County, Mississippi.
Who is the Panola County Tax Assessor?
O’dell Draper, Jr is the Tax Assessor of Panola County, Mississippi.
Who is the Panola County Tax Collector?
O’dell Draper, Jr is the Tax Collector of Panola County, Mississippi.
Who are the Panola County commissioners?
Fred Ira Butts (Supervisor, District 1); Earl L. Burdette (Supervisor, District 2); John F. Thomas (Supervisor, District 3); Chad Weaver (Supervisor, District 4); Cole Flint (Supervisor, District 5).
What is the population of Panola County?
About 32,808 people, with a median age of 39.4; the median household income is $45,945 and 23.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Panola County?
4.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 497 people unemployed in a labor force of 11,940, against 4.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Panola County?
20 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 6 municipal, 2 school district and 11 special district governments.

Officeholders as of May 6, 2026, from the Mississippi Secretary of State's County Offices and Directory; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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