2013 Mississippi Code
Title 7 - EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
Chapter 7 - STATE FISCAL OFFICER; DEPARTMENT OF AUDIT
Article 3 - DEPARTMENT OF AUDIT
§ 7-7-203 - Organization of the department

The state auditor shall appoint a director for the department who shall be responsible for its management and the execution of his policies, provided that such director shall be a certified public accountant of recognized executive ability and thoroughly familiar with the laws of the state in relation to the financial administration of the public offices thereof.

The director shall have authority and it shall be his duty to select, with the concurrence of the state auditor, all administrative, technical, and professional assistants, including an assistant director, necessary to carry out the provisions of this article, provided, however, that all such assistants shall be employed only after they have qualified under the terms of a merit system, which the state auditor and director shall establish covering all personnel of the department and shall adopt and enforce all necessary rules and regulations to maintain. It shall be the duty of each successive incumbent in the office of state auditor to maintain said merit system as previously established, and he shall not replace or discharge any employee then covered thereby except for dereliction of duty or other acts and deeds committed in violation of the rules and regulations thereof. Any expense incurred incident to the maintenance of the merit system shall be paid out of the department of audit fund.