Senate Bill 2345

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 19-3-13, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT IN COUNTIES HAVING TWO COURT DISTRICTS AND A CERTAIN POPULATION IN WHICH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY HAS ELECTED TO HAVE TWO REGULAR MEETINGS EACH MONTH, THE PLACE FOR HOLDING SUCH MEETINGS MAY BE IN EITHER OF SUCH DISTRICTS OR MAY BE ALTERNATED BETWEEN EACH OF THE TWO DISTRICTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 19-3-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

19-3-13. In counties having two (2) court districts, the board of supervisors shall hold regular meetings on the first Monday of each month; and in such counties where only one (1) regular meeting of the board of supervisors is held in each month, the board of supervisors shall hold its first meeting in each year at the courthouse or in the chancery clerk's office, where the chancery clerk's office is in a building separate from the courthouse, of the first district, on the first Monday of January, and shall hold its second meeting at the courthouse or in the chancery clerk's office, where the chancery clerk's office is in a building separate from the courthouse, of the second district, on the first Monday of February, and shall alternate thereafter.

In counties having two (2) court districts, the board of supervisors may hold two (2) regular meetings in each month, and in such counties, where the board of supervisors elects to hold two (2) regular meetings in each month, the board of supervisors shall hold its first meeting in each month at the courthouse or in the chancery clerk's office, where the chancery clerk's office is in a building separate from the courthouse, of the first district, on the first Monday of each month, and shall hold its second meeting at the courthouse or in the chancery clerk's office, where the chancery clerk's office is in a building separate from the courthouse, of the second district, on the second Monday of each month.

If the board of supervisors in any such county shall elect to hold two (2) regular meetings in each month, as herein provided, the board shall enter an order upon its minutes to that effect and shall give at least five (5) days' notice thereof by posting copies of such notice at the courthouse door of each district, and after giving such notice the board shall hold regular meetings each month in each district as provided in this section.

However, in counties having two (2) court districts where the board of supervisors has heretofore pursuant to law elected to hold two (2) regular meetings a month, the board of supervisors may continue to hold two (2) such regular meetings each month, as heretofore provided for, and no further order or notice of such meetings shall be required.

Moreover, in those counties having two (2) judicial districts, where the act creating the two (2) districts provides otherwise, the board of supervisors may continue to hold regular meetings as required by the act creating the two (2) districts.

In any county having two (2) court districts and a population in excess of two hundred thousand (200,000) according to the federal decennial census of 1970, the board of supervisors shall hold regular meetings on the first Monday of each monthand may elect to hold an additional regular meeting on the second Monday of each month. The meetings shall be held at the courthouse in the first or second district or,where the chancery clerk's office is in a building separate from the courthouse, in the chancery clerk's office of that district. The board of supervisors, in its discretion, may alternate such meetings between the first and second districts or may hold all such meetings in only one (1) of such districts.

If the board of supervisors in any such countyelects to hold two (2) regular meetings in each month, as herein provided, the board shall enter an order upon its minutes to that effect and shall give at least five (5) days' notice thereof by posting copies of such notice at the courthouse door of each district.

When any such meeting date falls on a legal holiday, then the said meeting shall be held on the succeeding day.

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