MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2004 Regular Session

To: County Affairs; Municipalities

By: Senator(s) Dearing, Walls

Senate Bill 2149

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 17-19-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THAT COUNTY BOARDS OF SUPERVISORS AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNING AUTHORITIES OBTAIN CERTAIN INFORMATION FROM PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS BEFORE MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE DISTRICTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

     SECTION 1.  Section 17-19-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     17-19-1.  (1)  The board of supervisors of each county and the governing authorities of each municipality in the state 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 county or municipality which are not required for any other purpose, to the planning and development district in which the county or municipality is located.

     (2)  Before making any appropriation authorized by this section, the board of supervisors of any county or governing authority of any municipality shall require that each planning and development district requesting an appropriation provide to the board or governing authority the following:

          (a)  A budget request showing the services to be provided, the need for the services, and how the funds requested will be spent;

          (b)  An annual report including, at minimum, the actual number of clients served in each county by the district and the funds from each county that have been used to provide these services, and all current, active economic development projects and the amounts awarded by each county and municipality; and

          (c) An annual financial audit.

     In addition, the board of supervisors or municipal governing authority may request any other information it considers to be pertinent to making an appropriations decision.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after October 1, 2004.