Mississippi § 27-1-13 - Tax collector as separate officer; election; bond; powers and duties.

§ 27-1-13. Tax collector as separate officer; election; bond; powers and duties.

In any such county that has properly adopted a resolution to separate such offices, there shall be a separate tax collector therein who shall possess the same qualifications and be elected at the same time and in the same manner as provided by law for the assessor. He shall give bond, with sufficient surety, to be payable, conditioned and approved as provided by law, in a penalty equal to five percent (5%) of the sum of all the state and county taxes shown by the assessment rolls and the levies to have been collectible in the county for the year immediately preceding the commencement of the term of office for said collector, and he shall also take and file the oath of office as tax collector; however, such bond shall not exceed the amount of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00). Such tax collector shall collect all taxes heretofore collected by sheriffs or assessors, as the case may be, in said counties, including but not limited to ad valorem and privilege taxes, charges and fees of every kind and nature heretofore comprising a portion of the tax collecting duties of the sheriffs or assessors of said counties and shall pay same monthly to the collecting political subdivision without retaining any portion thereof for his services. Provided, however, regardless of the political subdivision or fund for which the tax was collected, the tax collector shall pay at least the percentage of such tax heretofore retained by the sheriff as his fee directly into the general fund of the concerned county, and said payment shall be made by the twentieth day of the month following collection. Such tax collectors shall perform all of the tax collecting duties in such counties heretofore performed by the sheriffs or assessors thereof, as the case may be, with the full and complete authority and liabilities heretofore possessed by or imposed upon said sheriffs or assessors. However, a tax collector shall not be liable for ad valorem taxes, privilege taxes, charges and fees collected by him, payment for which was made by a check, draft or other order for the payment of money which has been returned to the tax collector because of insufficient funds in the account on which such check, draft or order was drawn, if the tax collector has exhausted all reasonable means of collecting such instrument, including the filing of a civil suit or presentation to the district attorney for collection under Section 97-19-73 et seq.