Bill Text: MS HB469 | 2017 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Fire protection districts; authorize board of supervisors to dissolve, redefine or reconfigure.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 6-2)
Status: (Passed) 2017-03-13 - Approved by Governor [HB469 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2017-HB469-Enrolled.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2017 Regular Session
To: Insurance
By: Representatives Touchstone, Morgan, Hale, Sykes, Barnett, Dixon, Steverson, Monsour
House Bill 469
(As Sent to Governor)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 19-5-167, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE A COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO DISSOLVE, REDEFINE OR RECONFIGURE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 19-5-167, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
19-5-167. (1) Except as
otherwise provided in this section, the powers of each district shall be vested
in and exercised by a board of commissioners consisting of five (5) members to
be appointed by the board of supervisors. Upon their initial appointment, one
(1) of the commissioners shall be appointed for a term of one (1) year; one (1)
for a term of two (2) years; one (1) for a term of three (3) years; one (1) for
a term of four (4) years; and one (1) for a term of five (5) years; thereafter,
each commissioner shall be appointed and shall hold office for a term of five
(5) years. Any vacancy occurring on a board of commissioners shall be filled
by the board of supervisors at any regular meeting of the board of supervisors,
and the board of supervisors shall have the authority to fill all unexpired
terms of any commissioner or commissioners. Notwithstanding the appointive
authority herein granted to the board of supervisors, its legal and actual
responsibilities, authority and function, subsequent to the creation of any
district, shall be specifically limited to the appointive function and
responsibilities outlined in Sections 19-5-179, 19-5-189 and 19-5-191,
except that with fire protection districts, the board of supervisors shall have
authority for dissolving, redefining and reconfiguring of such districts as may
be appropriate to ensure the most appropriate and efficient fire protection
coverage for the county's citizens. The operation, management, abolition
or dissolution of such district, and all other matters in connection therewith,
shall be vested solely and only in the board of commissioners to the specific
exclusion of the board of supervisors, and the abolition, dissolution or
termination of any district shall be accomplished only by unanimous resolution
of the board of commissioners, except that with fire protection districts,
the board of supervisors shall have authority for the dissolving, redefining
and reconfiguring of such districts when determined appropriate. However,
if any area within the boundaries of a fire protection district created under
Section 19-5-151 et seq., is annexed by a municipality, a reduction of the
boundaries of the district to exclude such annexed area may be accomplished by
the adoption of a resolution by a majority vote of the board of commissioners
of that fire protection district. The county board of * * * supervisors which has a
fire protection district created under Section 19-5-151 et seq., * * * may dissolve,
redefine and reconfigure such district and, under Section 19-5-215 et seq.,
may create a fire protection grading district consisting of the same boundaries
as the previously existing fire protection district or having amended
boundaries as determined appropriate by the board of supervisors. Petition
and election requirements of Sections 19-5-217 through 19-5-227 shall not apply
where the board of * * *
supervisors dissolves a fire protection district and creates a fire
protection grading district under this section. Except as otherwise provided
herein, such board of supervisors or commissioners shall have no power,
jurisdiction or authority to abolish, dissolve or terminate any district while
the district has any outstanding indebtedness of any kind or character, unless arrangements
are made for the assumption of any outstanding indebtedness by the subsequent
district or by the county. * * * If a fire protection
district is dissolved in accordance with this subsection, the board of
supervisors may continue to levy the same millage as was being levied within
the boundaries of the previous fire protection district before its
dissolution provided that a fire protection grading district is created, in
accordance with Section 19-5-215 et seq. * * *
(2) The board of
supervisors of the incorporating county * * *
may consolidate such fire protection districts for administrative
purposes. * * * The board
of supervisors shall conduct a public hearing to determine the public's
interest. Following such a hearing, the board may create a consolidated
commission consisting of the participating districts for administrative
purposes. Such districts then shall dissolve their respective boards of
commissioners, transferring all records to the consolidated board of
commissioners. A consolidated board of commissioners consisting of not less
than five (5) members shall be appointed with equal representation from each
participating district. Any commissioners appointed to a consolidated fire
protection district commission must comply with eligibility requirements as
authorized in Section 19-5-171. In the event that a consolidated fire
protection district commission consists of an even number of members, the
chairman elected as authorized by Section 19-5-169 shall vote only in the event
of a tie. General powers and duties of commissioners and commissions and other
related matters as defined in Sections 19-5-151 through 19-5-207 shall apply to
the entire area contained in the consolidating fire protection districts as
described in the resolutions incorporating the fire protection districts as
well as to subsequent annexations.
(3) If the creation of the district is initiated in accordance with Section 19-5-153(3), the powers of the district shall be vested in and exercised by a board of commissioners selected in the following manner:
(a) Upon creation of the district, the board of directors of the former nonprofit, nonshare corporation shall serve as the board of commissioners of the newly created water district for a period not to exceed sixty (60) days. The initial commissioners shall be subject to the requirements of Section 19-5-171, except the requirement for executing a bond. If an initial commissioner fails to meet a requirement of Section 19-5-171 as provided in this section, the board of supervisors shall appoint a member to fill that vacancy on the board of commissioners.
(b) In the resolution creating a district initiated in accordance with Section 19-5-153(3), the board of supervisors shall direct the existing board of directors of the rural water association to create within the district five (5) posts from which commissioners shall be elected. The board of supervisors shall designate the positions to be elected from each post as Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4 and Post 5. Post 5 shall be an at-large post composed of the entire district. Within sixty (60) days following creation of the district, the board of supervisors shall call an election. Such election shall be held and conducted by the election commissioners in accordance with the general laws governing elections. The election commissioners shall determine which of the qualified electors of the county reside within the district and only those electors shall be entitled to vote in the election. Notice of the election setting forth the time, place or places and the purpose of the election shall be published by the clerk of the board of supervisors in the manner provided in Section 19-5-155.
The initial elected commissioners shall be elected to a term of office expiring on December 31 of the year in which the next succeeding general election for statewide officials is held. After the initial term of office, commissioners shall be elected to four-year terms. Vacancies shall be filled by the procedure set forth in Section 23-15-839.
(4) For any water and sewer district located within the corporate limits of a municipality that was incorporated on or after January 2012, the powers of the district shall be vested in and exercised by a board of commissioners consisting of five (5) members, each to be appointed by the governing authority of such municipality, one (1) member to be appointed from each municipal ward in the city. Each commissioner shall be appointed and shall hold office for a term of five (5) years. Any vacancy occurring on the board of commissioners shall be filled by the governing authority of the municipality at any regular meeting. Appointments to fill vacancies in unexpired terms of office shall be for the remaining unexpired term of office for such position.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2017.
