Mississippi § 19-29-7 - Creation of county railroad authority; commissioners; public hearing; authorization for county or municipality to create or dissolve authority.

§ 19-29-7. Creation of county railroad authority; commissioners; public hearing; authorization for county or municipality to create or dissolve authority.

Any county in which there is located existing railroad properties and facilities or in which railroad properties and facilities previously existed, but were abandoned after February 5, 1976, may, by resolution, create a public body corporate and politic, to be known as a county railroad authority, which shall be authorized to exercise its functions upon the appointment and qualifications of the first commissioners thereof. Upon the adoption of a resolution creating a county railroad authority, the board of supervisors of the county shall, pursuant to the resolution, appoint five (5) persons as commissioners of the authority. The commissioners who are first appointed shall be designated to serve the terms of one (1), two (2), three (3), four (4) and five (5) years respectively. Thereafter, each commissioner shall be appointed for a term of five (5) years, except that vacancies occurring otherwise than by the expiration of term shall be filled for the unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointments. A county shall not adopt a resolution authorized by this section without a public hearing thereon. Notice thereof shall be given at least ten (10) days prior thereto in a newspaper published in the county, or if there is no newspaper published therein, then in a newspaper having general circulation in the county. Any county and a municipality within a county may create a railroad authority under this section by resolution adopted by the respective governing authorities. The authority shall be governed by five (5) commissioners. The board of supervisors shall appoint two (2) persons as commissioners of the authority. The governing authorities of the municipality shall appoint two (2) persons as commissioners of the authority. One (1) commissioner shall be appointed by the municipality and the county on a rotating basis with the municipality making the first appointment. The terms of the commissioners shall be the same as those provided in subsection (1) with the term designation to be determined by the majority vote of the governing authorities of the municipality and of the county. The municipality and the county may dissolve the authority by a majority vote of both governing authorities.