House Bill 774

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 21-27-15, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT IF ANY MUNICIPALITY THAT HAS A MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY AND THE MUNICIPALITY HAS CREATED A PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION, THEN SUCH COMMISSION MAY BE ABOLISHED BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS VOTING AT A SPECIAL ELECTION WITHIN SUCH MUNICIPALITY ON THE QUESTION OF THE ABOLISHMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 21-27-15, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

21-27-15. The governing authorities of such municipality shall have the power to remove any member of said commission for inefficiency or incompetency or any other cause, but the governing authority of any municipality which has created a commission under the terms of Section 21-27-13, shall not have authority to abolish the commission, or to diminish its powers, except by a vote of a majority of the qualified electors voting in a special election of such municipality * * *~~at a special election~~, duly called and held for that purpose. However, nothing herein shall limit, alter, impair or in any way change the procedure prescribed for the sale or lease of a public utility system under Section 21-27-33.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2019.