Title 19, Counties and County Officers

The board of commissioners of any cooperative service district may, pursuant to a favorable majority vote of the board of supervisors of each participating county, and for good cause shown therefor, authorize the cooperative service district to issue its revenue bonds payable fro…

The operation and management of a district is vested solely in its board of commissioners; however, a participating county may terminate its participation in a district by a majority vote of its board of supervisors, but such board of supervisors shall have no power to terminate …

A district shall be audited from time to time by the State Auditor pursuant to the provisions of Section 7-7-211, Mississippi Code of 1972.

In counties having only one (1) court district, the board of supervisors shall hold regular meetings at the courthouse or in the chancery clerk’s office in those counties where the chancery clerk’s office is in a building separate from the courthouse. However, the board of superv…

The board of supervisors of each participating county and the governing authorities of each municipality located therein are authorized and empowered, in their discretion, to appropriate and pay such sums as they deem necessary and desirable, out of any available funds of the cou…

(1) The board of supervisors of any participating county is hereby authorized and empowered, in its discretion, to levy a tax not to exceed one-half (½) mill annually on all taxable property within the county the proceeds of which shall be used to support the district in which th…

Any municipality located within a cooperative service district may, pursuant to a duly adopted resolution of the governing body, and upon concurrence by the board of commissioners of the service district, enter into contracts with the district to provide, obtain or receive any se…

In counties having two court districts, the board of supervisors shall hold regular meetings on the first Monday of each month; and in such counties where only one regular meeting of the board of supervisors is held in each month, the board of supervisors shall hold its first mee…

In Harrison County, a county having two judicial districts, the board of supervisors shall hold their meetings or sessions at the time required and provided for by law, alternately at Gulfport and Biloxi, respectively, at the seats of justice of the judicial districts, holding th…

At regular meetings for the transaction of business, the board of supervisors may sit for a period not longer than ten days in any one month. At meetings for the transaction of business under the revenue laws, the board may continue in session as long as business may require. How…

(1) The board of supervisors may, at a regular meeting, by an order on its minutes, adjourn to meet at any time it may determine upon. (2) The president, or the vice president in the absence or disability of the president, or any three (3) members of the board, may call special m…

The president or vice-president in the absence or disability of the president, shall preside at all meetings of the board, and if they both be absent or disabled, the board may elect another member to preside during the absence of the president and vice-president.

Three (3) members of the board of supervisors shall constitute a quorum; and in case that number should not attend on the first day of any regular, adjourned or special meeting, the sheriff may adjourn the meeting from day to day until a quorum is present. A member failing to att…

The sheriff of the county shall attend all meetings of the board of supervisors, either in person or by deputy, and shall execute all its process and orders.

It shall be the duty of the clerk of the board of supervisors to keep and preserve a complete and correct record of all the proceedings and orders of the board. He shall enter on the minutes the names of the members who attend at each meeting, and the names of those who fail to a…

In case the office of clerk shall be vacant, or the clerk and his deputies be absent, refuse, or fail to perform the duties required, the board may appoint a clerk for the time, who, on taking the oath of office shall be authorized to discharge the duties and to receive the compe…

A person shall not be a member of the board of supervisors who is not a resident freeholder in the district for which he is chosen, and the owner of real estate of the value of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00).

The board of supervisors of any county in the State of Mississippi, now or hereafter having two (2) judicial districts and an assessed valuation of property for ad valorem taxation in excess of Seventy-five Million Dollars ($75,000,000.00), according to the last completed assessm…

The board of supervisors may have its proceedings published in some newspaper published in the county, and cause the same to be paid for out of the county treasury, but the costs of such publication shall not exceed the sum fixed by law for publishing legal notices. If there be m…

The board of supervisors after each meeting shall have an itemized statement made of allowances, to whom, for what, and the amounts; a list of all contracts providing for the expenditure of money and the terms of payment thereof; a statement of all loans from sixteenth section fu…

Each member of the board of supervisors shall, during his term of office, be exempt from working on the roads, from serving in the militia, and from jury service.

The members of the board of supervisors are conservators of the peace within their respective counties, and shall possess all the powers as such which belong to, or are conferred on, justices of the peace.

(1) The board of supervisors of any county shall have the power to adopt any orders, resolutions or ordinances with respect to county affairs, property and finances, for which no specific provision has been made by general law and which are not inconsistent with the Mississippi C…

(1) The boards of supervisors shall have within their respective counties full jurisdiction over roads, ferries and bridges, except as otherwise provided by Section 170 of the Constitution, and all other matters of county police. They shall have jurisdiction over the subject of p…

The board of supervisors of any county may contract with the Mississippi Transportation Commission to perform maintenance on the state highways and Interstate highways in that county and any rights-of-way to such highways.

(1) The board of supervisors of any county is hereby authorized and empowered, in its discretion, to grade, gravel or shell, repair, and/or maintain private gravel or shell roads or driveways to private residences if such roads or driveways are used for school bus turnarounds. (2…

When there shall not be a courthouse in any county, or the same may be undergoing repairs, or unfit for use, the board of supervisors may meet at a convenient place in the county and shall provide and designate some suitable building in which the courts of the county and the meet…

(1) The board of supervisors of any county in which there are two (2) judicial districts may provide alternate facilities for the courts of one judicial district when the courthouse of such district is in a condition of disrepair due to damage or construction. Such alternate faci…

(1) (a) The board of supervisors shall have the power, in its discretion, to employ counsel by the year at an annual salary at an amount that it deems proper, not to exceed the maximum annual amount authorized by law for payment to a member of the board.(b) The board of superviso…

The board of supervisors of any county in the state is authorized, in its discretion, to pay a monthly office allowance to the attorney employed by the board in an amount not exceeding the amount authorized to be paid for secretarial services for the county prosecuting attorney u…

(1) In all counties of this state wherein there is no elected county prosecuting attorney, the boards of supervisors shall have the power and authority to employ a competent attorney to appear and prosecute in cases requiring the services of the county prosecuting attorney. The c…

Each member of the board of supervisors, before entering upon the duties of his office, shall give bond, with sufficient surety, to be payable, conditioned and approved as provided by law, in a penalty equal to five percent (5%) of the sum of all the state and county taxes shown …

The board of supervisors shall have power to subpoena witnesses in all matters coming under its jurisdiction and to fine and imprison any person for a contempt committed while they are in session, the fine not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00), and the imprisonment not to extend b…

When a fine shall be imposed upon any person by the board of supervisors, by virtue of any provision of law, the board shall cause the person to be summoned to appear at a succeeding meeting to show cause why the judgment for such fine shall not be made final. If sufficient cause…

Unless otherwise specifically required by law, the board of supervisors of any county shall upon the filing of a petition touching any matter affecting the entire county and over which it has jurisdiction, signed by twenty-five per cent. of the qualified electors of the county, e…

The tickets to be used in an election pursuant to Section 19-3-55 shall have a substantial synopsis of the proposition petitioned for, printed thereon, and next below shall have the words, “For the Proposition”; and the words, “Against the Proposition”, next below. In making up h…

The board of supervisors shall direct the appropriation of money that may come into the county treasury, but shall not appropriate the same to an object not authorized by law.

The board of supervisors in each county may employ and compensate at least one (1) qualified individual who shall serve as comptroller or bookkeeper for funds received, expended or handled by the board. The board may also employ and compensate such clerical assistance as the comp…

(1) The board of supervisors of each county by resolution adopted and placed on its minutes may establish a policy of sick leave and vacation time for employees of the county not inconsistent with the state laws regarding office hours and holidays. (2) Notwithstanding the provisi…

The board of supervisors in each county is hereby authorized and empowered, in its discretion, to do all things and to perform all acts which may be necessary to join the National Association of County Officials and/or State and County Administrator Association. The board of supe…

(1) When any member of any board of supervisors shall be required to travel outside of his county but within the State of Mississippi in the performance of his official duties, such member shall receive as expenses of such travel the same mileage and actual and necessary expenses…

The board of supervisors of any county may acquire one or more credit cards which may be used by members of the board of supervisors and county employees to pay expenses incurred by them when traveling in or out of the state in the performance of their official duties. The chance…

The board of supervisors of each county may, in its discretion, contract with certain professionals when the board determines that such professional services are necessary and in the best interest of the county. The board of supervisors shall spread upon its minutes its finding t…

The members of the board of supervisors, having given bond and taken the oath of office, shall meet at the courthouse of their county, on the first Monday in January next succeeding the election, and shall organize by electing one of their number to be president, and by electing …

The board of supervisors in each county shall appoint a county fire services coordinator, and may compensate him from any available county funds, except insurance rebate monies from the County Volunteer Fire Department Fund. The county fire services coordinator shall demonstrate …

In addition to the maintenance authority granted in Section 83-1-39, Mississippi Code of 1972, the board of supervisors of any county is hereby authorized and empowered, in its discretion, to grade, gravel, shell and/or maintain real property, including roads or driveways thereof…