2016 Mississippi Code
Title 19 - Counties and County Officers
Chapter 5 - Health, Safety and Public Welfare
Water, Sewer, Garbage Disposal, and Fire Protection Districts (§§ 19-5-151 - 19-5-207)
§ 19-5-201. Annexations to district

Any area adjacent to any district created pursuant to Sections 19-5-151 through 19-5-207 and situated within the same county as the district, and not being situated within the corporate boundaries of any existing municipality, may be annexed to and become a part of such district by the same procedure prescribed in Sections 19-5-153 through 19-5-159 for the original creation of the district. All costs incident to the publication of notice and all other costs incident to the hearings, election and proceedings shall be paid by the district.

The district shall have the exclusive right to provide any of the services for which it was created in the annexed territory; however, if any part of the annexed territory is then being served by another corporate agency with any such service, the district shall, at the option of the other corporate agency, either relinquish its prior right to serve the area occupied by the corporate agency or acquire by purchase the facilities of such corporate agency, together with its franchise rights to serve such area. If the annexation affects only a portion of the corporate agency's facility, the cash consideration for such purchase shall not be less than:

(a) the present-day reproduction cost, new, of the facilities being acquired, less depreciation computed on a straight-line basis; plus

(b) an amount equal to the cost of constructing any necessary facilities to reintegrate the system of the corporate agency outside the annexed area after detaching the portion to be acquired by the district; plus

(c) an annual amount payable each year for a period of ten (10) years equal to the sum of twenty-five per cent (25%) of the revenues received from sales to consumers within the annexed area during the last twelve (12) months.

If the option is for the district to purchase, upon notification thereof, the district shall be obligated to buy and pay for, and the corporate agency shall be obligated to convey to the district, all its service facilities and franchise rights in the annexed area, free and clear of all mortgage liens and encumbrances for the aforesaid cash consideration.

If the annexed territory affects all of the properties and facilities of such other corporate agency, then all of such property constituting the entire system or facility of the corporate agency shall be acquired by the district in accordance with such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon, and the district shall have the authority to assume the operation of such entire system or facility and to assume and become liable for the payment of any notes, bonds or other obligations that are outstanding against said system or facility and payable from the revenues therefrom.

If the district is notified to relinquish its prior right to serve the annexed area, the district shall grant the corporate agency a franchise to serve within the annexed territory; however, the corporate agency shall be entitled to serve only such customers or locations within the annexed area as it served on the date that such annexation became effective.

The annexed territory shall become liable for any existing indebtedness of the district and be subject to any taxes levied by the board of supervisors under Section 19-5-189 in payment of the district's indebtedness.