2015 Mississippi Code
Title 57 - PLANNING, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 1 - MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
IN GENERAL
§ 57-1-25 - Municipal enterprises; election

The governing board of any municipality desiring to enter into the plan herein authorized, after receiving a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the executive director, as provided by Sections 57-1-19 and 57-1-21, by resolution spread upon its minutes, shall declare its intention of entering into such plan, and shall call an election to be held in the manner now provided by law for holding county or municipal elections, and shall fix in such resolution a date upon which such an election shall be held in the municipality, of which not less than three (3) weeks' notice shall be given by the clerk of such board, by a notice in a newspaper published in the municipality once each week for three (3) consecutive weeks preceding the same, or if no newspaper is published in the municipality, then by posting a notice for three (3) weeks preceding the election at three (3) public places in the municipality. At such election, all qualified electors of the municipality may vote, and the ballots used shall have printed thereon a brief statement of the purpose of the board to enter into the plan hereby authorized and to issue bonds therefor or to expend other municipal funds available together with the words "For the Proposed Enterprise," and the words "Against the Proposed Enterprise," and the voter shall vote by placing a cross (X) opposite his choice of the proposition. Should the election provided for herein result in favor of the proposed plan and bond issue or expenditure by at least sixty percent (60%) of those voting in favor of the plan, provided that the total number of votes cast in the election shall be not less than thirty percent (30%) of the qualified electors of the territory included in the proposal, then the governing board may proceed to exercise the authority granted under the provisions of Sections 57-1-1 through 57-1-51 within three (3) years after the date of such election or within three (3) years after final, favorable determination of any litigation affecting the industrial plan or bond issue. If such election results unfavorably to the proposition, then no second or other election shall be ordered or held until the board shall determine that such election may be held.

Where the separate supervisors district or districts of a county indicate a desire to enter into the plan herein authorized, but not to affect the remainder of the county, then the board of supervisors shall direct the holding of such election only in the supervisors district or districts affected, and the board of supervisors is hereby authorized to carry out the provisions of Sections 57-1-1 through 57-1-51 for such separate supervisors district or districts.

In the event the proposal to be voted on at the election required herein includes bonds to be issued covering a supervisors district or districts, but not the entire county, includes a town or city of a population of more than five hundred, (500) as well as territory outside the corporate limits of such town or city and the proposed enterprise is to be located in such town or city or within one (1) mile of the corporate limits thereof, the qualified electors voting in the election residing outside the corporate limits of the town or city shall vote separately from those residing in such town or city.

All qualified electors shall vote at their usual voting places and in event the usual voting place of electors residing outside the corporate limits of such town or city is in such town or city, such elector shall vote in a separate ballot box provided for the purpose, and the officers holding the election shall make separate returns of the results of the vote of those residing within the town or city and those residing outside such town or city.

Unless sixty percent (60%) of the qualified electors residing in such town or city voting in the election and sixty percent (60%) of the qualified electors residing outside such town or city voting in such election shall vote for the proposed bond issue, computed and declared separately, the proposed bond issue shall be declared as disapproved.

It shall be the duty of the county election commissioners to provide necessary ballot boxes, separate voting lists containing the names of electors residing within and without the corporate limits of towns and cities when such is required by the proposal submitted, and records for the conduct of the election in accordance with the requirements of this section.

And in event the proposal to be voted on at the election required by this section includes bonds to be issued covering the entire county and the proposed industry is to be located in a town or city or within one (1) mile of the corporate limits thereof, the qualified electors voting in the election residing outside the corporate limits of the city or town, and whose regular voting place is within the corporate limits of the city or town, shall vote separately from those residing in such city or town, in separate ballot boxes to be provided for such purposes, and the votes so cast shall be counted separately.

At the election, unless sixty percent (60%) of the qualified electors voting in the election and residing within the corporate limits of the city or town in which the proposed enterprise is to be located, or the town or city within one (1) mile of the proposed location of the enterprise shall vote for the proposed bond issue and sixty percent (60%) of all the other qualified electors of the county voting in the election shall vote for the proposed bond issue, computed and declared separately, the proposed bond issue shall be declared as disapproved. All qualified electors voting in such election shall vote at their usual voting precincts, and the county election commissioners shall provide necessary boxes, separate voting lists containing the names of electors residing within and without the corporate limits of the town or city wherein such enterprise is proposed to be located, or such town or city within one (1) mile of the proposed location of the enterprise, and records for the conduct of the election in accordance with the requirements of this section.