Mississippi § 57-61-15 - Allocation of bond proceeds; lien requirements; effect of failure to create predicted jobs; effect of failure to meet repayment obligations; assistance for firms currently operating elsewhere in state.

§ 57-61-15. Allocation of bond proceeds; lien requirements; effect of failure to create predicted jobs; effect of failure to meet repayment obligations; assistance for firms currently operating elsewhere in state.

Except for grants authorized for state-owned ports and for grants authorized under Section 57-61-32, Section 57-61-33 and Section 57-61-36, Mississippi Code of 1972, no more than Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($7,500,000.00) of the proceeds of bonds authorized to be issued under this chapter shall be made available for grants to municipalities; however, Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000.00) of such amount shall be made available for grants to small communities. In no case shall any municipality receive more than one (1) grant in any single fiscal year. This subsection shall not apply to grants authorized under Section 57-61-36, Mississippi Code of 1972. A minimum of twenty-five percent (25%) of the aggregate funds made available under this chapter shall be allocated to small communities. For the purpose of determining the aggregate funds available to make the allocation established in this subsection, there shall be excluded from inclusion therein any funds specifically dedicated pursuant to Sections 57-61-11(e) (iii) and (v), 57-61-32, 57-61-33, 57-61-34, 57-61-36, 57-61-39, 57-61-41 and 57-75-27, Mississippi Code of 1972. No loan or grant shall be made without substantiation of the provisions of Section 57-61-9, Mississippi Code of 1972. Except in the case of an application pursuant to Section 57-61-9(5)(a), Mississippi Code of 1972, funds loaned shall be secured by a lien and/or collateralized consistent with Section 57-61-9(1)(d), Mississippi Code of 1972, if required by the Mississippi Development Authority. Except in the case of an application pursuant to Section 57-61-9(5)(a), Mississippi Code of 1972, private companies which fail to create and maintain the number of jobs specified in an approved application shall be liable for, in the discretion of the Mississippi Development Authority, (a) a penalty equal to two percent (2%) greater than the current prime interest rate for the remainder of the loan made for their benefit, or (b) prepayment of the outstanding loan amount incurred by the municipality for their benefit, unless the penalty or a portion thereof is waived by the Mississippi Development Authority because the failure is due to circumstances outside the control of the private company. The penalty shall be payable in installments which the Mississippi Development Authority deems appropriate. Immediate notice of penalties and waivers of penalties, including the penalties in Section 57-61-9(1)(d), Mississippi Code of 1972, with the reasons thereof, shall be submitted by the Mississippi Development Authority to the Governor and the Legislature along with the Mississippi Development Authority’s decision on the imposition of penalties and the reasons for this decision. Except in the case of an application pursuant to Section 57-61-9(5)(a), Mississippi Code of 1972, municipalities receiving loans which fail to meet their repayment obligations shall forfeit the right to receive their sales tax allocation and/or homestead exemption reimbursement in an amount sufficient to repay obligations due until such time as their indebtedness has been discharged or arrangements to discharge such indebtedness satisfactory to the Mississippi Development Authority have been made. Sales tax allocations and/or homestead exemption reimbursements forfeited hereby shall, upon demand by the Mississippi Development Authority made in writing upon the State Tax Commission, be paid to the Mississippi Development Authority and applied to the discharge of the obligation. The Mississippi Development Authority may prescribe such other penalties it deems necessary. Any municipality which has forfeited its sales tax allocation and/or homestead exemption reimbursement for twelve (12) months may levy an ad valorem tax on the taxable property therein for the purpose of meeting its repayment obligation. The revenue produced from the tax levy shall not be included within the ten percent (10%) growth limitation on ad valorem tax receipts for its general budget. This chapter is expressly not intended to encourage the relocation of a company from one (1) jurisdiction within the state to another. Any request by a local sponsor for assistance to be provided a firm which currently operates a similar business in the state must be accompanied by a demonstration that the total net increase in and maintenance of full-time equivalent jobs, using the current number of jobs in all similar businesses operated by the private company in the state as a base, shall be at least twenty-five percent (25%). This requirement shall not apply to private companies relocating from small business incubators.