Economic Development

When a person with substantial interest, as required by Section 25-43-2.103 of the Administrative Procedures Act, requests a declaratory opinion, the requestor must submit a printed, typewritten, or legibly handwritten request. A. Each request must be submitted on 8-1/2" x 11" wh…

Any party who signs the request shall attest that the request complies with the requirements set forth in these rules, including but not limited to a full, complete, and accurate statement of relevant facts and that there are no related proceedings pending before any agency, admi…

Each request must contain the following: A. A clear identification of the statute, rule, or order at issue; B. The question for the declaratory opinion; C. A clear and concise statement of all facts relevant to the question presented; D. The identity of all other known persons in…

The MDA may, for good cause, refuse to issue a declaratory opinion. The circumstances in which declaratory opinions will not be issued include, but are not necessarily limited to: A. The matter is outside the primary jurisdiction of the MDA; B. Lack of clarity concerning the ques…

Within forty-five (45) days after the receipt of a request for a declaratory opinion which complies with the requirements of these rules, the MDA shall, in writing: A. Issue an opinion declaring the applicability of the statute, rule, or order to the specified circumstances; B. A…

In accordance with Section 25-43-2.104(a) of the Mississippi Administrative Procedures Act, this chapter describes the Mississippi Development Authority's duties and responsibilities, the organization of the Mississippi Development Authority's office, its methods of operation, an…

The Mississippi Development Authority consists of an executive director appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The executive director shall be the executive officer of the department in the execution of any and all provisions of this chapter. Notes …

The executive director shall have the following powers and duties: A. To formulate the policy of the department regarding economic and tourist development of the State. B. To use and expend any funds from the state, federal or private sources coming into the department for the pu…

There is a Mississippi Development Authority Legislative Oversight Committee charged to serve in an advisory capacity regarding matters under the jurisdiction of the MDA. However, the Committee shall have no jurisdiction or vote on any matter within the jurisdiction of the MDA. N…

The Governor shall appoint an advisory counsel to the agency consisting of twenty-five members, five from each congressional district. The Governor shall serve as chairman of the council. The members shall serve in an advisory capacity and serve without pay and compensation for e…

A current listing of contact information for the Mississippi Development Authority may be found at www.mississippi.org or obtained by calling (601)-359-3449. Notes 6 Miss. Code. R. 5-4.6 Miss. Code Ann. § 25-43-2.104 (Rev. 2006).

These Rules and Regulations are adopted in compliance with the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983, Miss. Code Ann. § 25-61-1 thru 25-61-19, and the Mississippi Ethics Commission's Model for Public Records Rules. All records and portions of records not exempt from disclosure w…

Information may be on MDA's website at www.missisisppi.org. In addition, information on the state budget, expenditures, travel, contracts, leases, workforce and grants may be available free of charge at transparency.ms.gov. Contact Information: Mississippi Development Authority P…

The Mississippi Development Authority is composed of the Business Incentives, Business Recruitment and Expansion, Business Research and Workforce Development, Community and Rural Development, Community Incentives, Energy and Natural Resources, Entrepreneur Center, International T…

(a) Hours for inspection of records. Public records are available for inspection and copying during normal business hours of the MDA, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding legal holidays. Records must be inspected at the office of the MDA. The time, place and m…

(a) Providing access. The MDA acknowledges that "providing access to public records is a duty" and that "any person shall have the right to inspect, copy or mechanically reproduce or obtain a reproduction of any public record" in accordance with these policies. Sections 25-61-1, …

(a) Requesting electronic records. The process for requesting electronic public records is the same as for requesting paper public records. (b) Providing electronic records. When a requester requests records in an electronic format, the public records officer will provide the non…

The Public Records Act, as well as other statutes and court decisions, provide that a number of types of records are exempt from public inspection and copying. In addition, other statutes or rules of law, such as various privacy restrictions, may prohibit disclosure. Requesters s…

Upon request to inspect or copy any document so designated, the MDA shall notify the person who filed the document. Twenty-one (21) days after such notice, the document will be made available for public inspection or copying unless the filer shall have obtained a court order prot…

(a) Costs for paper copies. Section 25-61-7(1), Miss. Code of 1972, reads as follows: "Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, each public body may establish and collect fees reasonably calculated to reimburse it for, and in no case to exceed, the actual cost of sea…

(a) Petition for internal administrative review of denial of access. Any person who objects to the initial denial or partial denial of a records request may petition in writing to the public records officer for a review of that decision. The petition must include a copy of or rea…

The Mississippi Site Development Grant Program assists public or private non-profit economic development organizations or local governments (Local Partners) in developing available green field sites for industrial development. Matching grants of up to $50,000 for Ready Site or $2…

Funds will be used to support the development of sites in areas of high demand or with other attributes that make them particularly differentiated and competitive. MDA will invest more in these sites and, as a result, will take measured steps to ensure a higher likelihood of a re…

C. MDA funds must match funds from other sources (excluding other grants administered by MDA) and will not be the primary funding vehicle. (i) The maximum grant will be $250,000 or 50% of the total cost of all the due diligence/site development improvements required, whichever is…

Each application will be reviewed objectively and solely on the merits of the proposed site enhancement and its potential for improving industrial recruitment efforts. No applicant is guaranteed funding if basic qualifying criteria are met. The merit of each application will be r…

Projects not completed within twelve (12) months that show evidence of progress as determined by the MDA Grants Review Committee will be considered for funding. Projects with no tangible progress may be rejected for funding and can be submitted for consideration in the future. MD…

Applying organization(s) will be accountable for all monies awarded and responsible for submission and tracking of all research, expenses and measurement of project results. Eligible and applicable costs will be reimbursed after submission and approval of the applicant's final re…

If a project's scope changes during the development stages, the grant recipient must write to the MDA Existing Industry and Business Division for approval. The letter must state the project name, grant fund number, requested change, reasons for wanting to change, and any alterati…

If the total cost of the completed project is less than the provided estimate, the organization will be awarded the designated percentage (50%) of the lesser amount. If the completed project cost is higher than the approved project cost, the organization will receive only the amo…

All projects receiving a grant must adhere to the following rules before request for payment can be processed and payment can be made: A. The application packet must include a copy of the application with attachments and a copy of the signed Required Attachments checklist. B. The…

Funding will not be disbursed until the final report is submitted, accepted and approved by MDA. According to MDA's Accounting Division, reimbursement payments will be made by direct deposit if your organization has previously completed documentation for this process. Otherwise, …

A. Mississippi Development Authority Attn: Mary Ann Myers P.O. Box 849 Jackson, MS 39205 Notes 6 Miss. Code. R. 6-1.19 Adopted 5/17/2018

A Ready Site is defined as a property that satisfactorily meets the minimum criteria for a competitive, marketable site and is ready for a project within an expedited timeframe. Ready Sites are classified as sites with a minimum of 20 highly-developable acres, that are site-work …

A Premier Site is defined as a property that meets the desired development criteria of its potential market(s) and has additional differentiating or distinguishing site location attributes (e.g. high demand locations, intermodal and/or port access, large-scale "mega" development …

Activities to be funded under the Mississippi Site Development Grant Program should be consistent with the recruitment strategy and industrial park development plan for the benefitting site. Local Partners (county, municipality and public or private nonprofit economic development…

State statute (Senate Bill 3033 Regular Session 2017) requires that Mississippi Site Development Grant Program funds be expended on industrial property owned or associated with property that is publicly owned. Notes 6 Miss. Code. R. 6-1.5 Senate Bill 3033 Regular Session 2017 Ado…

Eligible expenditures as stated in statute are: A. Architectural fees B. Design and engineering fees C. Environmental studies/assessments D. Attorney fees E. Fees for consultants or agents that MDA determines necessary to complete site diligence F. Geotechnical and/or resistivity…

Eligible expenses incurred after July 1, 2017 may be included. Notes 6 Miss. Code. R. 6-1.7 Senate Bill 3033 Regular Session 2017 Adopted 5/17/2018

This program will support sites that are attempting to meet minimum criteria required for Ready Sites. A. MDA will provide grants to Local Partners on a reimbursable basis so that they may perform due diligence/site development improvements to meet the minimum requirements. Notes…

A. These funds must match funds from other sources and will not be the primary funding vehicle. B. The maximum grant will be $50,000 or 50% of the total cost of all the due diligence/site development improvements required, whichever is less. C. In-kind services will be valued as …

This procedure is the exclusive method for seeking administrative review of an action taken by the Mineral Leasing Division, a division of the Mississippi Major Economic Impact Authority (MMEIA). Notes 6 Miss. Code. R. 8-1.1 Miss. Code Ann. §§ 29-7-19; 29-7-21 (Rev. 2010).

Any person or interested party aggrieved by any final rule, regulation, permit or order may file a petition pursuant to Miss. Code Ann. § 29-7-21 (Rev. 2010), requesting administrative review of such final rule, regulation, order or issuance, denial, modification or revocation of…

A. The person or interested party petitioning for a hearing must file a written petition with the Executive Director of MMEIA, 501 N. West Street, P.O. Box 849, Jackson, Mississippi, 39205-0849 not later than thirty (30) calendar days from the date that any final rule, regulation…

The Hearing Officer, if designated by the Executive Director, shall be an independent and impartial person other than, and not accountable to, any person authorized to make decisions that are subject to appeal under provisions of this section. Notes 6 Miss. Code. R. 8-1.4 Miss. C…

A. The Mineral Leasing Division of MMEIA shall first present its analysis and recommendation through testimony, exhibits and other admissible evidence. A representative of MMEIA shall be allowed to attend the hearing as a representative of the agency. The petitioner shall then pr…

If a hearing is conducted by a Hearing Officer, he shall prepare a finding of fact and recommended decision which will be forwarded to the Executive Director within twenty (20) days of completion of the hearing. A copy of the recommendation will be sent to petitioner and to the D…

A. After the conclusion of a hearing conducted by the Executive Director, a final decision shall be issued within twenty (20) days of the conclusion of the hearing and entered on the minutes of MMEIA. B. If the hearing is conducted by a Hearing Officer, after review of the record…