Ann Hoskins wears many hats as Coahoma County Administrator.
The woman in charge of running the day-to-day operations of the largest entity of local government says it is hectic and frustrating some days, but also one of the most satisfying jobs she has ever held.
“I am the person supervisors send people to when they have a problem,” said Hoskins. “I work hard to find solutions and the hardest part of this job is when I have to tell people ‘no.’”
“I want people to be happy --I like to be happy -- so when I have to tell someone no, we either don’t have the money or we can’t legally do it,” said Hoskins.
And a stickler for accuracy and detail, Hoskins makes sure she does her homework before giving one of those answers.
Hoskins has a degree and extensive background in accounting and even worked for the University of Mississippi Law Library where she handled major projects that required extensive research and large budgets.
“I have a Master’s degree in Library Information Science in addition to my accounting degree,” said Hoskins. “I tell people I don’t have all the answers, but if they are out there I can do the research to find them.”
And those skills and talents have been handy since Hoskins took the Coahoma County Administrator’s post in May.
“I’ve learned to wear many new hats,” said Hoskins. “I’ve also learned I am the gatekeeper for the Board of Supervisors.”
That job requires her to vet problems and get an understanding of what will be presented to Supervisors at their regular board meetings.
“People walk into this office just about every day with a concern and we get started,” said Hoskins. “It can be hectic, but see a big part of my job as solving your problem.”
She said solving those problems can be as simple as pointing them to another person or making a phone call to a state agency, or it could be one of those situations where you stop everything and work on the task at hand for several days.
Hoskins was hired as assistant Comptroller for Coahoma County in September 2017 and was named Comptroller in June 2018.
“Managing people is the hardest job in any organization and that has been the hardest thing for me to get my hands around,” said Hoskins. “I’m comfortable with budgets, numbers, research and getting answers. I also estimate that 50 percent of the County Administrator’s job is managing people.”
And Hoskins said her first few months as County Administrator were spent meeting county employees. She sat down with almost all of them and listened to their concerns, found out what they did and how they fit in the overall Coahoma County government structure.
“Supervisors hold the purse-strings of county government,” said Hoskins. “Every elected official runs their office, but their budget dollars comes from the Board of Supervisors.”
The county has proposed a budget of $29,209,743.92 and 30-percent or $8,762,923.17 is raised by ad valorem or property taxes. The rest comes from federal and state programs that Supervisors -- and Hoskins -- are required to keep an eye on.
Hoskins said she reflects on how so many things in her life have led her to this point.
“I graduated from West Tallahatchie High School and thought I wanted to be a nurse,” said Hoskins. “But things change and I ended up getting my Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from the University of Mississippi.”
Her first job was at Fitzgerald Casino in Robinsonville handling gaming taxes and managing fixed assets for the company.
She smiles as she talks about the route that led to her post with Coahoma County.
“I’ve been here a while and I have made a lot of friends,” said Hoskins. “My children call Clarksdale home. I call Clarkdale home.”
Her daughter Merissa has just graduated from Delta State and plans to go to law school. Her son Marc is in college.
Hoskins said she is a voracious reader, and grinned when she said she is currently reading Roberts Rules of Order.
“I don’t know if it’s my background with the law library or just the way I like things to be ordered and correct,” said Hoskins. “Yes, it’s part homework and not the most thrilling thing I’ve ever read. But there is a proper and right way to do things and understanding the rules helps that happen.”
On a lighter side, Hoskins said she loves historical movies and history in general. She also likes digging for details on the internet.
Cooking, especially for family, is one of her joys in life.
“I like it when I have a house full of family and something good is happening in the kitchen,” said Hoskins. “I’m not big on travel and I like things that happen around family and home.”
A true professional who knows her job as well as her strengths and weaknesses, Hoskins manages with a quiet voice backed by facts and figures.
She is the front-door of county government and usually the first person business, other government agencies and the voters see when they come to Coahoma County.
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