Mississippi § 49-19-23 - Federal funds; apportionment.

§ 49-19-23. Federal funds; apportionment.

All moneys paid to the State of Mississippi by the United States, on account of national forest lands in Mississippi, established under the provisions of the Weeks Law, so-called, being an Act of Congress, approved March 1, 1911, and amendments thereto, shall be apportioned by the state treasurer to the several counties in which such national forest lands are or may be, in proportion to the area of such national forest lands in each, as determined by the forest service of the United States Department of Agriculture. The several sums so apportioned to each county shall be paid over by the state treasurer to the county depository within sixty (60) days after receipt thereof, and fifty percent (50%) of such funds received by the county shall be expended for the benefit of the public schools, and the remaining fifty percent (50%) of such funds shall, in the discretion of the board of supervisors, be expended for the benefit of the public roads or of the public schools of the school districts within which national forest lands may be located. In any area affected not having a school located therein, all of such funds may be expended on roads. In counties containing one hundred sixty thousand, two hundred fifty-three (160,253) acres of national forest lands located solely within three (3) supervisors districts, if the board of supervisors elects to apportion fifty percent (50%) of the funds so received to public roads, the funds shall be expended upon the public roads within the supervisors district or districts within which the national forest lands are located. In counties containing one hundred sixty thousand, two hundred fifty-three (160,253) acres of national forest lands located solely within three (3) supervisors districts, that portion of the funds allocated to public schools may, within the discretion of the county school board, be expended for the public schools within the county wherein the national forest lands are located. In any county wherein there is located a national forest traversed by the Chickasawhay River and in which U. S. Highways 84 and 45 intersect, all such funds so received shall be expended in such manner as the board of supervisors shall determine in the public interest for the maintenance of public roads and support of the public schools.