2016 Mississippi Code
Title 19 - Counties and County Officers
Chapter 29 - Local and Regional Railroad Authorities
§ 19-29-17. General powers of railroad authority

An authority shall have all the powers necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this chapter (excluding the power to levy and collect taxes or special assessments, unless otherwise specified in the chapter) including, but not limited to, the power:

(a) To sue and be sued, to have a seal, and to have perpetual succession;

(b) To make and from time to time amend and repeal bylaws, rules and regulations not inconsistent with this chapter, to carry into effect the powers and purposes of this authority;

(c) To maintain a principal office, and if necessary, regional offices at locations within its boundaries;

(d) To employ an executive director, secretary, technical experts, superintendents and other such officers, agents, employees, permanent or temporary, as may be required by or beneficial to the authority, and to determine their qualifications, duties and compensation; and to retain or contract with consulting engineers, financial consultants, accountants, attorneys and such other consultants and independent contractors as are necessary in its judgement to carry out the provisions of this chapter and to also fix the compensation thereof;

(e) To engage in research and development with respect to railroads;

(f) To plan, establish, acquire, construct, enlarge, reconstruct, improve, operate, maintain, replace, repair, extend, improve, regulate and protect railroad properties and facilities within its boundaries. For such purposes, an authority may acquire such properties or any interest therein by purchase, gift, lease, devise, eminent domain proceedings or otherwise, provided it shall not have the power to condemn property owned or used by a railroad unless the federal government has authorized the abandonment of the railroad line;

(g) To make the use and services of the railroad properties and facilities available to others in the furtherance of the purposes of this chapter and upon such terms and conditions as the governing body of the authority shall deem proper. In so doing, the authority shall have the power to lease same to others upon such terms and conditions as the authority may determine unless specifically provided for herein;

(h) To receive and accept contributions, grants or other financial assistance from the federal government, the state or any political subdivision thereof, including the county and others, to be used in the furtherance of the purposes of this chapter;

(i) To purchase, rent, lease or otherwise acquire any and all kinds of property, both real and personal, whether or not subject to deeds of trust, mortgages, liens, charges or other encumbrances, for the authority, which, in the judgment of its governing bodies, is necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this chapter;

(j) To acquire property which is suitable for use by industries requiring access to any railroad track owned, operated or subsidized by the authority;

(k) To establish schedules of tolls, fees, rates, charges and rentals for the use of the railroad properties and facilities and to charge, alter and collect such tolls, fees, rates, charges and rentals in carrying out the provisions of the chapter; and

(l) To make contracts and execute instruments containing such covenants, terms and conditions as in the judgment of the governing body may be necessary, proper or advisable for the purpose of obtaining grants, loans or other financial assistance from any federal or state agency for or in the aid of the acquisition or improvement of the railroad properties and facilities herein provided; to make all other contracts and execute all other instruments including without limitation licenses, long and short term leases, mortgages and deeds of trust and other agreements relating to the railroad property and facilities within its boundaries, and the construction, operation, maintenance, repair and improvement thereof as in the judgment of the governing body may be necessary, proper or advisable for the furtherance of the purposes of this chapter and the full exercise of the powers herein granted; and to carry out and perform the covenants, terms and conditions of all such contracts or instruments.

In addition to the general and special powers conferred in this section or elsewhere in this chapter, the authority is authorized to exercise such powers as are necessarily incidental to the exercise of such general and special powers.