Bill Text: MS HB1539 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Municipal owned utilities; require to be audited annually and require audit to be published.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2013-02-05 - Died In Committee [HB1539 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2013-HB1539-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2013 Regular Session
To: Municipalities
By: Representative Blackmon
House Bill 1539
AN ACT TO REQUIRE ALL GOVERNING AUTHORITIES OF EVERY MUNICIPALITY WHICH NOW OWNS A UTILITY TO HAVE THEIR BOOKS AUDITED ANNUALLY, BEFORE THE CLOSE OF THE NEXT SUCCEEDING FISCAL YEAR, EITHER BY A COMPETENT ACCOUNTANT APPROVED BY THE STATE AUDITOR OR BY A CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT; TO REQUIRE TWO COPIES OF THE AUDIT OR COMPILATION TO BE MAILED TO THE STATE AUDITOR WITHIN THIRTY DAYS AFTER COMPLETION OF SAID AUDIT; TO REQUIRE A SYNOPSIS OF THE AUDIT TO BE PUBLISHED IN A NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN THE MUNICIPALITY OR, IF NO NEWSPAPER BE PUBLISHED IN ANY SUCH MUNICIPALITY, IN ANY NEWSPAPER HAVING A GENERAL CIRCULATION PUBLISHED IN THE COUNTY WHEREIN SUCH MUNICIPALITY IS LOCATED; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. The governing authorities of every municipality which now owns and operates, any system or systems as defined by Section 21-27-11 (b) for municipally owned utilities shall have their books audited annually, before the close of the next succeeding fiscal year, either by a competent accountant approved by the State Auditor or by a certified public accountant, who has paid a privilege tax as such in this state, and shall pay for same out of the General Fund. No advertisement shall be necessary before entering into such contract, but it shall be entered into as a private contract. The audit shall be made upon the same uniform formula set up and promulgated for annual municipal audits that is created by the State Auditor, as the head of the State Department of Audit, or the director thereof, appointed by him, as designated and defined in Title 7, Chapter 7, of the Mississippi Code of 1972, or any office or officers hereafter designated to replace or perform the duties imposed by the laws of this state. Two (2) copies of the audit or compilation shall be mailed to the State Auditor within thirty (30) days after completion of said audit. The State Auditor shall, at the end of each fiscal year, submit to the Legislature a composite report showing any information concerning municipally owned utilities in this state that he might deem pertinent and necessary to the Legislature for use in its deliberations. A synopsis of the audit, in the same format prescribed by the State Auditor for annual municipal audits, shall be published within thirty (30) days by the governing authorities of such municipalities in a newspaper published in such municipalities or, if no newspaper be published in any such municipality, in any newspaper having a general circulation published in the county wherein such municipality is located. The publication of the audit may be made as provided in Section 21-17-19, Mississippi Code of 1972. Such publication shall be made one (1) time, and the governing authorities of such municipalities shall be authorized to pay only one-half (1/2) of the legal rate prescribed by law for such legal publication.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2013.
