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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Tate County: 12 seats on 8 elected bodies.

Board of Supervisors

Tate County Board of Supervisors

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it now
Supervisor, District 1Leigh Ann Darby source
Supervisor, District 2Ron Williams source
Supervisor, District 3Tony M. Sandridge source
Supervisor, District 4Zander Billingsley source
Supervisor, District 5George W. Stepp source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Chancery ClerkTim Hale source
Circuit ClerkKenda Blout source
CoronerErnie Lentz source
County Prosecuting AttorneyGinger Miller source
SheriffLuke Shepherd source
Tax AssessorDonnie Ross source
Tax CollectorDonnie Ross source

How many local governments Tate County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 12 local governments in Tate 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 townships20
School districts (school boards)30
Special districts (elected boards)60

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 Tate County

28,321people
38.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$69,704 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
16.9%below the U.S.: 12.5%
23.6%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$209,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.7%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.1%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
11.1%U.S.: 8.4%
54.7%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
28.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3.2% · White 64% · Black 29.2% · Asian 0.1% · Other or more than one race 3.5% (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 Tate County

3.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.7%. Mississippi: 3.3%.
393people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
11,785people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
12,178in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Tate County 0.0%1.9%3.9%5.8%7.8% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.2%39311,78512,178
August 20263.1%37711,71412,091
July 20263.7%45911,81512,274
June 20264.0%49311,77812,271
May 20263.5%43111,93012,361
April 20263.3%40611,90612,312
March 20263.9%48212,01112,493
February 20264.2%52311,90812,431
January 20263.6%43911,86112,300
December 20252.9%36112,16612,527
November 20253.4%42812,07312,501
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.7%46812,10912,577
August 20254.0%50112,03912,540
July 20254.3%54212,08612,628
June 20254.4%55211,97512,527
May 20253.7%45612,02612,482
April 20253.2%40212,08812,490
March 20253.6%45412,07612,530
February 20253.9%49111,99112,482
January 20253.8%47312,02312,496
December 20243.4%43012,25212,682
November 20243.3%42112,16812,589
October 20243.4%42012,08512,505
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.7%46612,05912,525
20243.2%39612,06212,458
20233.1%37811,83712,215
20223.7%45311,95612,409
20215.3%65011,63212,282
20207.4%89111,16512,056
20195.5%67511,64312,318
20184.9%59911,58112,180
20175.0%61011,52412,134
20165.8%70511,38512,090

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.

Police in Tate County

Police staffing

1.69 per 1,000 residents2023, 3 agencies serving 28,464 people.
48sworn officers2023, full-time, as of October 31.
27civilian staff2023, full-time.

2023 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (3), 2023
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Tate County Sheriff's Office172018,801
Senatobia Police Department2778,316
Coldwater Police Department401,347

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Tate County Chancery Clerk?
Tim Hale is the Chancery Clerk of Tate County, Mississippi.
Who is the Tate County Circuit Clerk?
Kenda Blout is the Circuit Clerk of Tate County, Mississippi.
Who is the Tate County Coroner?
Ernie Lentz is the Coroner of Tate County, Mississippi.
Who is the Tate County County Prosecuting Attorney?
Ginger Miller is the County Prosecuting Attorney of Tate County, Mississippi.
Who is the Tate County Sheriff?
Luke Shepherd is the Sheriff of Tate County, Mississippi.
Who is the Tate County Tax Assessor?
Donnie Ross is the Tax Assessor of Tate County, Mississippi.
Who is the Tate County Tax Collector?
Donnie Ross is the Tax Collector of Tate County, Mississippi.
Who are the Tate County commissioners?
Leigh Ann Darby (Supervisor, District 1); Ron Williams (Supervisor, District 2); Tony M. Sandridge (Supervisor, District 3); Zander Billingsley (Supervisor, District 4); George W. Stepp (Supervisor, District 5).
What is the population of Tate County?
About 28,321 people, with a median age of 38.5; the median household income is $69,704 and 16.9% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Tate County?
3.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 393 people unemployed in a labor force of 12,178, against 3.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Tate County?
12 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 2 municipal, 3 school district and 6 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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