House Bill 459

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 19-2-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT IN THE NOVEMBER 2003 GENERAL ELECTION AN ELECTION SHALL BE HELD IN EACH COUNTY OF THE STATE WHICH IS REQUIRED TO OPERATE ON A COUNTYWIDE SYSTEM OF ROAD ADMINISTRATION ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER TO RETURN TO THE BEAT SYSTEM OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT; TO REVISE THE FORM OF THE QUESTION TO APPEAR ON THE BALLOT IN ELECTIONS TO DETERMINE WHETHER A COUNTY THAT OPERATES ON THE COUNTYWIDE SYSTEM OF ROAD ADMINISTRATION WISHES TO RETURN TO THE BEAT SYSTEM OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 19-2-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

19-2-5. (1) (a) In the general election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November 1988, an election on the question of operation of the county on a countywide system of road administration shall be held in each county of the state. The ballot in such election shall have printed thereon the question "Do you want to require the county to operate under the countywide system of road administration?" followed thereafter, on separate lines, with the word "YES" and the word "NO" and with appropriate boxes adjacent thereto in which the voters may indicate their preference.

(b) The results of the elections held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November 1988 concerning the question of operation of the county on a countywide system of road administration as set out in paragraph (a) of this subsection * * * shall be forwarded by each county circuit clerk to the Secretary of State, within fifteen (15) days of such election. The Secretary of State shall certify these election results after paragraph (a) of this subsection * * * has been precleared under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended and extended.

(c) If a majority of the qualified electors participating in the election under paragraph (a) of this subsection * * * vote in favor of requiring the county to operate under the countywide system of road administration, the county shall not be exempt from and shall be subject to the provisions of Section 19-2-3 and all other provisions of law requiring counties to operate under the countywide system of road administration beginning October 1, 1989. If, on the other hand, a majority of the qualified electors participating in the election vote against requiring the county to operate under the countywide system of road administration, the county shall be exempt from the provisions of Section 19-2-3 and all other provisions of law requiring counties to operate under the countywide system of road administration beginning October 1, 1989, and the board of supervisors of that county may construct and maintain the county roads and bridges on a road district or beat system in accordance with any applicable provisions of general law or may, in its discretion and at any time, by resolution duly adopted and entered on its minutes, require the county to operate on the countywide system of road administration in accordance with Section 19-2-3.

(d) If in any election held in a county under paragraph (a) of this subsection * * * a majority of the qualified electors participating in the election vote against requiring the county to operate under the countywide system of road administration, then an election on such question may again be held at the November general election in 1990 or at a regularly scheduled November general election in any year thereafter, in any such county in which the board of supervisors has not adopted a resolution as provided in paragraph (c) of this subsection * * * and put into operation the countywide system of road administration in accordance with Section 19-2-3, upon a petition filed with the board of supervisors and signed by at least fifteen percent (15%) or one thousand five hundred (1,500) of the qualified electors of that county, whichever is the lesser, asking for an election to determine whether to require the county to operate under the countywide system of road administration. Upon such petition being filed the board of supervisors shall order an election to be held on the question at the next November general election more than sixty (60) days from the filing of the petition. Nothing in this subsection shall authorize or permit the calling or holding of any such election in a county more often than once every two (2) years. The question to be presented to the electors at such election shall be in the same manner and form as provided in paragraph (a) of this subsection * * *. If a majority of the qualified electors participating in any such election vote in favor of requiring the county to operate under the countywide system of road administration, then beginning October 1 of the next year following such election, the county shall not be exempt from and shall be subject to the provisions of Section 19-2-3 and all other provisions of law requiring counties to operate under the countywide system of road administration. If, on the other hand, a majority of the qualified electors participating in any such election vote against requiring the county to operate under the countywide system of road administration, the county shall be exempt from the provisions of Section 19-2-3 and all other provisions of law requiring counties to operate under the countywide system of road administration, and the board of supervisors of that county may construct and maintain the county roads and bridges on a road district basis, a beat system or any other system authorized by any applicable provisions of general law, or may, in its discretion and at any time, by resolution duly adopted and entered on its minutes, require the county to operate under the countywide system of road administration in accordance with Section 19-2-3.

(2) (a) In the general election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November 2003, an election shall be held in each county of the state that is required to operate on a countywide system of road administration on the question of whether the county wishes to return to the beat system of county government. The ballot in such election shall have printed thereon the question "Do you want to return to the beat system of county government?" followed thereafter, on separate lines, with the word "YES" and the word "NO" and with appropriate boxes adjacent thereto in which the voters may indicate their preference.

(b) The results of the elections held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November 2003 concerning the question of returning to the beat system of county government as set out in paragraph (a) of this subsection shall be forwarded by the circuit clerk of such counties to the Secretary of State, within fifteen (15) days of the election, and the Secretary of State shall certify these election results.

(c) If a majority of the qualified electors participating in the election under paragraph (a) of this subsection vote against returning to the beat system of county government, then the county shall not be exempt from and shall continue to be subject to the provisions of Section 19-2-3 and all other provisions of law requiring counties to operate under the countywide system of road administration. If, on the other hand, a majority of the qualified electors participating in the election vote in favor of returning to the county beat system of county government, then the county shall be exempt from the provisions of Section 19-2-3 and all other provisions of law requiring counties to operate under the countywide system of road administration beginning October 1, 2004, and the board of supervisors of that county may construct and maintain the county roads and bridges on a road district or beat system in accordance with any applicable provisions of general law or may, in its discretion and at any time, by resolution duly adopted and entered on its minutes, require the county to operate on the countywide system of road administration in accordance with Section 19-2-3.

(d) If in any election held in a county under paragraph (a) of this subsection a majority of the qualified electors participating in the election vote for returning to the beat system of county government, then an election on such question may again be held at the November general election in 2005 or at a regularly scheduled November general election in any year thereafter, in any such county in which the board of supervisors has not adopted a resolution as provided in paragraph (c) of this subsection and put into operation the countywide system of road administration in accordance with Section 19-2-3, upon a petition filed with the board of supervisors and signed by at least fifteen percent (15%) or one thousand five hundred (1,500) of the qualified electors of that county, whichever is the lesser, asking for an election to determine whether to require the county to operate under the countywide system of road administration. Upon such petition being filed the board of supervisors shall order an election to be held on the question at the next November general election more than sixty (60) days from the filing of the petition. Nothing in this subsection shall authorize or permit the calling or holding of any such election in a county more often than once every two (2) years. The ballot in such election shall have printed thereon the question "Do you want to require the county to operate under the countywide system of road administration?" followed thereafter, on separate lines, with the word "YES" and the word "NO" and with appropriate boxes adjacent thereto in which the voters may indicate their preference. If a majority of the qualified electors participating in any such election vote in favor of requiring the county to operate under the countywide system of road administration, then beginning October 1 of the next year following such election, the county shall not be exempt from and shall be subject to the provisions of Section 19-2-3 and all other provisions of law requiring counties to operate under the countywide system of road administration. If, on the other hand, a majority of the qualified electors participating in any such election vote against requiring the county to operate under the countywide system of road administration, the county shall be exempt from the provisions of Section 19-2-3 and all other provisions of law requiring counties to operate under the countywide system of road administration, and the board of supervisors of that county may continue to construct and maintain the county roads and bridges on a road district basis, a beat system or any other system authorized by any applicable provisions of general law, or may, in its discretion and at any time, by resolution duly adopted and entered on its minutes, require the county to operate under the countywide system of road administration in accordance with Section 19-2-3.

(3) Once a county begins to operate under the countywide system of road administration in accordance with Section 19-2-3, whether as a result of an election held under this section or as a result of a resolution adopted by the board of supervisors as provided in under this section, then an election on such question may again be held in any such county * * * at a regularly scheduled November general election in any year during which members of the boards of supervisors and state officials are elected, upon a petition filed with the board of supervisors and signed by at least fifteen percent (15%) or one thousand five hundred (1,500) of the qualified electors of that county, whichever is the lesser, asking for an election to determine whether to require the county to continue to operate under the countywide system of road administration. The question to be presented to the electors at such election shall be "Do you want to return to the beat system of county government?" If a majority of the qualified electors participating in any such election vote against returning to the beat system of county government, then the county shall not be exempt from and shall continue to be subject to the provisions of Section 19-2-3 and all other provisions of law requiring counties to operate under the countywide system of road administration. If, on the other hand, a majority of the qualified electors participating in any such election vote for returning to the beat system of county government, then beginning October 1 of the next year following such election, the county shall be exempt from the provisions of Section 19-2-3 and all other provisions of law requiring counties to operate under the countywide system of road administration, and the board of supervisors of that county may construct and maintain the county roads and bridges on a road district basis, a beat system or any other system authorized by any applicable provisions of general law, or may, in its discretion and at any time, by resolution duly adopted and entered on its minutes, require the county to operate under the countywide system of road administration in accordance with Section 19-2-3.

SECTION 2. The Attorney General of the State of Mississippi shall submit this act, immediately upon approval by the Governor, or upon approval by the Legislature subsequent to a veto, to the Attorney General of the United States or to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in accordance with the provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended and extended.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the date it is effectuated under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended and extended.