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To: Local and Private
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Thomas
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 3408
AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF YAZOO COUNTY, 1
MISSISSIPPI, TO ESTABLISH AN ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT 2
AUTHORITY TO BE KNOWN AS THE YAZOO ECONOMIC ALLIANCE; TO PROVIDE 3
FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEES OF THE ALLIANCE; TO PROVIDE THE 4
POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE ALLIANCE; TO PROVIDE THAT THE ALLIANCE 5
MAY BE AUTHORIZED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO PROVIDE CERTAIN 6
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND/OR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE COUNTY 7
AND THE MUNICIPALITIES LOCATED THEREIN; TO AUTHORIZE THE BOARD OF 8
SUPERVISORS TO DISSOLVE THE YAZOO COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 9
DISTRICT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 10
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 11
SECTION 1. As used in this act: 12
(a) "Alliance" means the economic and industrial 13
development authority established under this act and known as the 14
Yazoo Economic Alliance. 15
(b) "Board of supervisors" means the Board of 16
Supervisors of Yazoo County, Mississippi. 17
(c) "County" means Yazoo County, Mississippi. 18
(d) "Trustee" means either the board of supervisors or 19
separately appointed individuals, as set forth in Section 2(2) of 20
this act, who govern and control the alliance. 21
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SECTION 2. (1) When the board of supervisors shall find and 22
determine that the public convenience and necessity require the 23
same, as evidenced by a resolution duly adopted and entered on the 24
official minutes of such board, it shall establish an economic and 25
industrial development authority, to be known as the Yazoo 26
Economic Alliance. 27
(2) The alliance shall be composed of five (5) trustees. 28
The board of supervisors, in its sole discretion, shall either (a) 29
appoint themselves to serve as the trustees with terms to run 30
concurrently with their terms of office for supervisor, or (b) 31
appoint five (5) trustees who are not county officials or 32
employees, but are qualified electors of the county. 33
(3) For those trustees appointed under subsection (2)(b) of 34
this section, the following shall apply: 35
(a) Three (3) of the trustees of the alliance shall 36
serve a term of one (1) year and the remaining two (2) trustees 37
shall serve a term of (2) years. Trustees may be reappointed 38
without limitation. 39
(b) Any trustee of the alliance may be disqualified and 40
removed from office for either of the following reasons: 41
(i) Conviction of a felony; or 42
(ii) Failure to attend three (3) consecutive 43
meetings without just cause. 44
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(c) If a trustee of the alliance is removed for one (1) 45
of the above reasons, the vacancy shall be filled in the manner 46
prescribed in this section. 47
(d) Vacancies which occur shall be filled in the same 48
manner as the original appointments and shall be made for the 49
unexpired term. 50
(e) The board of supervisors of the county, or their 51
designee(s), shall be nonvoting, ex officio members of the 52
alliance for purposes of serving only in an advisory capacity to 53
the trustees of the alliance. The attendance of any supervisor at 54
alliance meetings shall not count toward a quorum of the trustees 55
of the alliance. 56
SECTION 3. Before entering upon the duties of the office, 57
each trustee of such alliance, unless such trustees are the board 58
of supervisors, shall take and subscribe the oath of office 59
required by Section 268, Mississippi Constitution of 1890, and 60
shall give bond in the sum of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), 61
conditioned upon the faithful performance of his or her duties, 62
such bond to be made payable to the alliance and to be approved by 63
the alliance. The premiums on all the surety bonds shall be paid 64
by the alliance. The trustees of such alliance shall meet at the 65
regular meeting place of the board of supervisors of the county 66
within five (5) days after the trustees are initially appointed 67
and shall elect from among their number a chairman, vice chairman 68
and secretary-treasurer of the alliance and shall adopt a seal and 69
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such bylaws, rules and regulations as may be necessary to govern 70
the time, place and manner for holding subsequent meetings of the 71
alliance and for conduct of its business, not inconsistent with 72
this act. The trustees of the alliance shall serve without salary 73
or compensation, provided, however, that their actual expenses 74
incurred in the performance of their duties may be reimbursed, 75
including mileage as authorized by law for state employees. 76
SECTION 4. (1) The alliance is hereby expressly authorized 77
and empowered to acquire by gift, purchase or otherwise, and to 78
own, hold, maintain, control and develop real estate and personal 79
property situated within the county, either within or without the 80
corporate limits of a municipality, for development, use and 81
operation as industrial park complexes, industrial sites, business 82
parks or for other economic development purposes whether for 83
commercial, industrial, agricultural or otherwise, such complexes, 84
sites and purposes hereinafter referred to in this act as 85
"projects," and is further authorized and empowered to engage in 86
works of internal improvement therefor, including, but not limited 87
to, construction or contracting for the construction of streets, 88
roads, railroads, site improvements, and water, sewerage, 89
drainage, pollution and other related facilities necessary or 90
required for the development of such projects, and to acquire, 91
purchase, install, lease, finance, construct, own, hold, equip, 92
control, maintain, use, operate and repair structures and 93
facilities necessary and convenient for the planning, development, 94
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use, operation and maintenance of such projects, including, but 95
not limited to, utility installations, elevators, compressors, 96
warehouses, buildings, and air, rail and other transportation 97
terminals, and pollution control facilities. In the event the 98
alliance takes by gift or otherwise any land, buildings or other 99
tangible assets from any persons, corporations, public or private, 100
the alliance may assume all or any part of the liabilities 101
resulting from such acceptance under such terms and conditions as 102
will be in the best interest of the citizens of the county. 103
(2) The alliance is authorized and empowered to sell, lease, 104
trade, exchange or otherwise dispose of sites situated within 105
projects to individuals, firms or corporations, public or private, 106
for all types of industrial, commercial, agricultural or other 107
economic development uses upon such terms and conditions, for such 108
consideration whether monetarily or otherwise, and with such 109
safeguards as will best promote and protect the public interest, 110
convenience and necessity, and to execute options, deeds, leases, 111
contracts, easements and other legal instruments necessary or 112
convenient therefor. The alliance may also contribute funds 113
and/or resources directly to the development and cost of operation 114
of any industrial development foundation or other private economic 115
development group in the county and may enter into any contracts 116
or agreements effectuating the same which shall be binding on 117
successor boards. 118
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(3) The alliance is authorized and empowered to fix and 119
prescribe fees, charges and rates for the use of any water, 120
sewerage, pollution or other facilities constructed and operated 121
in connection with projects and to collect the same from persons, 122
firms and corporations using the same for industrial, commercial, 123
agricultural or other economic development purposes, except as to 124
rates and charges against common carriers regulated by an agency 125
of the federal government or the Mississippi Public Service 126
Commission. 127
(4) The alliance is authorized and empowered to employ 128
engineers, attorneys, accountants, consultants and such executive 129
and administrative personnel and other employees or independent 130
contractors as shall be reasonably necessary to carry out the 131
duties and authority authorized by this act, to determine their 132
qualifications and duties and to establish compensation and other 133
employment benefits as may be advisable to attract and retain 134
proficient personnel. The employees or contractors, if any, of 135
the alliance shall not be considered as employees of the county 136
for state retirement or any other public purposes. The alliance, 137
in addition to all other powers, is authorized and empowered to 138
purchase, lease, sell and trade office equipment, to purchase 139
necessary office supplies, to purchase or lease any equipment and 140
vehicles the alliance deems necessary for economic and industrial 141
development and to carry out the purposes of this act. The 142
alliance is authorized, in addition to all other powers, to buy, 143
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lease, sell, convey and do all other necessary business 144
transaction for carrying out the purpose of and administering the 145
alliance and to do all acts necessary and convenient to operate 146
and carry out the duties of the alliance. 147
(5) When disposing of its real property pursuant to this 148
act, the alliance may contract with duly licensed realtors and 149
real estate brokers and may pay real estate commissions resulting 150
from such dispositions not to exceed six percent (6%) resulting 151
from such dispositions. No alliance board trustee, officer or 152
employee may be paid a real estate commission or any other form of 153
compensation from such disposition. 154
(6) Subject to the prior written approval of the board of 155
supervisors, if applicable, the alliance is expressly authorized 156
and empowered to borrow money by issuing its negotiable promissory 157
notes which may be secured by execution of a deed of trust upon 158
any property owned by the alliance, or other collateral available 159
to or in the possession of the alliance. In addition to any 160
available, nonobligated revenues and other funds of the alliance, 161
the board of supervisors may pledge all or any portion of the levy 162
authorized for support of the alliance provided for in Section 8 163
of this act for the repayment of any indebtedness authorized under 164
this act, and the county shall be obligated to continue such levy 165
until the authorized indebtedness is paid in full. The pledge of 166
the tax levy to secure repayment of any sums borrowed shall be 167
done only by order spread upon the minutes of the board of 168
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supervisors and the alliance after the affirmative vote of a 169
majority of the members of the board of supervisors and trustees 170
of the alliance. This authority to borrow money shall be in 171
addition to the authority of the county to borrow money or issue 172
bonds on behalf of the alliance as specified in subsection (9) of 173
this section. 174
The county shall not be liable for the repayment of any 175
indebtedness incurred by the alliance unless the board of 176
supervisors of the county has pledged a portion of the tax levy 177
otherwise authorized as security therefor, in which event the 178
county shall be obligated only to the extent of the tax levy so 179
pledged. The board of supervisors may, however, authorize payment 180
on such debt from other sources available for such payment. 181
(7) The enumeration of any specific rights and powers 182
contained herein, and elsewhere in this act, where followed by 183
general powers, shall not be construed in a restrictive sense, but 184
rather in as broad and comprehensive a sense as possible to 185
effectuate the purposes of this act. Nothing in this act should 186
be construed to limit, restrict, or otherwise alter the duties, 187
responsibilities and authority of the board of supervisors as 188
provided under the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 and the laws 189
of the State of Mississippi. 190
(8) Any industrial or economic development purchase 191
agreement or lease or related economic development agreements may 192
be executed upon such terms and conditions, which shall be binding 193
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on any successor boards, and for such monetary rental or other 194
consideration as may be found adequate and approved by the 195
alliance in orders or resolutions authorizing the same. Any 196
covenants and obligations of the purchaser or lessee to make 197
expenditures in determined amounts, and within such time or times, 198
for improvements to be erected on the land by such purchaser or 199
lessee and to conduct thereon industrial or economic development 200
operations in such aggregate payroll amounts and for such period 201
of time or times as may be determined and defined in such purchase 202
agreement or lease, and to give preference in employment where 203
practicable to qualified residents of the county in which any 204
project is situated, shall, if included in such purchase agreement 205
or lease, constitute and be deemed sufficient consideration for 206
the execution of any such purchase agreement or lease in the 207
absence of a monetary rental or other consideration. Any such 208
instrument may contain reasonable provisions giving the purchaser 209
or lessee the right to remove its or his improvements upon 210
termination of the lease. 211
(9) Upon the request of the alliance and in addition to any 212
other authority prescribed by law, the board of supervisors, in 213
its discretion, may issue bonds for the benefit of the alliance 214
pursuant to the authority contained in Section 19-5-99, 215
Mississippi Code of 1972. 216
(10) Not less than sixty (60) days prior to the end of its 217
fiscal year, the alliance shall file with the board ·of 218
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supervisors a budget of projected revenues, expenses and other 219
financial activities for the coming fiscal year in a form 220
satisfactory to the board of supervisors and, in addition thereto, 221
as soon after the end of each fiscal year as practicable, the 222
alliance shall file with the board of supervisors a copy of its 223
certified audit and financial statement for the immediate past 224
fiscal year of the alliance. 225
SECTION 5. The alliance is authorized and empowered to take 226
all actions and expend any such funds of the alliance as shall be 227
necessary or determined to be in the public interests for the 228
promotion of economic and/or industrial development in the county, 229
including, but not limited to, efforts to develop, promote, 230
attract and/or expand existing businesses and industries, new 231
businesses and industries, tourism, aerospace and aviation 232
businesses, communications and information technology businesses, 233
remote data centers, contact centers, warehousing and distribution 234
businesses, shared services centers, defense / homeland security 235
businesses, metal fabrication businesses, research and development 236
businesses, manufacturing, tourism and hospitality businesses 237
within the county, and to expend such funds of the alliance as 238
shall be necessary or determined in the public interests to 239
develop and promote the county's workforce, promote available jobs 240
within the county, and to develop and promote such training 241
programs for the same. 242
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SECTION 6. The carrying out of the corporate purposes of the 243
alliance is in all respects for the benefit of the people of the 244
county and is a public purpose, and the alliance will be 245
performing an essential governmental function in the exercise of 246
the powers conferred upon it by this act. Hence, any property 247
owned or held by the alliance or under its jurisdiction under this 248
act shall be exempt from all taxation in the State of Mississippi. 249
SECTION 7. The notes specifically authorized by this act 250
shall be exempt from all income taxation in the state and shall 251
not be included in any debt limit calculation. 252
SECTION 8. (1) In addition to rights, duties and powers now 253
or hereafter conferred upon the board of supervisors, the board of 254
supervisors, at the request of the alliance, if applicable, is 255
authorized and empowered, in its discretion, to make available to 256
the alliance any revenue in the general fund of the county which 257
is otherwise unappropriated, for economic or industrial 258
development purposes. If it currently levies and collects the tax 259
pursuant to Section 19-9-111, Mississippi Code of 1972, the board 260
of supervisors may, in its discretion and without the need to 261
reauthorize and renotice intent, continue to levy the tax of not 262
more than two (2) mills to be used to support and maintain the 263
alliance. If such tax is not currently levied, the board of 264
supervisors may levy such tax in accordance with Section 19-9-111, 265
Mississippi Code of 1972, to support and maintain the alliance. 266
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(2) Further, the board of supervisors may, in its 267
discretion, levy an additional tax of not more than two (2) mills 268
against the taxable property in the county to be used to support 269
and maintain the alliance created hereunder. Before any such levy 270
is made, the board of supervisors shall signify its intention to 271
make such a levy and publish same in a newspaper published in said 272
county for thirty (30) days prior to making said levy. In the 273
event more than twenty percent (20%) or fifteen hundred (1500), 274
whichever is less, of the qualified electors of the county protest 275
in writing to the board of supervisors against the imposition of 276
such tax levy within thirty (30) days from the date such notice is 277
published, then such proposed tax levy shall not be made unless 278
same is approved by a special election called for said purpose. 279
Said special election shall be conducted and had as provided by 280
law. This levy shall be in addition to all other levies provided 281
by law and in this act. 282
SECTION 9. The alliance, in addition to the monies which may 283
be received by it from the sale of bonds, notes and from the 284
collection of revenues, rents and earnings derived under this act, 285
shall have the authority to accept from any public or private 286
agency, or from any individual, grants for or in aid of the 287
construction of any project, or for the payment of bonds, and to 288
receive and accept contributions from any source of money or 289
property or other things of value to be held, used and applied 290
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only for the purposes for which such grants or contributions may 291
be made. 292
SECTION 10. (1) Notwithstanding any provision of this act 293
to the contrary, the trustees of the alliance, with the written 294
approval of the board of supervisors, if applicable, and the 295
governing authorities of any municipality located within the 296
county, may enter into a contract providing for the delivery of 297
economic development and/or industrial development services to the 298
municipality and contribution of funds by the municipality to the 299
alliance. If the municipality contributes funds to the alliance, 300
the contract may provide for the appointment by the municipal 301
governing authorities of such number of nonvoting representatives, 302
as may be determined by the parties to the contract, to advise in 303
the management of the alliance. 304
(2) The trustees of the alliance, with the approval of the 305
board of supervisors, if applicable, may enter into a contract or 306
agreement with the governing body of any other local or regional 307
economic or industrial development foundation, private economic 308
development group, or other public entity or alliance for the 309
purposes of promoting, attracting and locating economic and/or 310
industrial development within the county. Such contracts and 311
agreements shall be binding on successor boards. 312
SECTION 11. Upon the creation of the alliance authorized by 313
this act, the board of supervisors is authorized, by duly adopted 314
resolution, to dissolve the Yazoo County Economic Development 315
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ST: Yazoo County; authorize to establish Yazoo
Economic Alliance as economic and industrual
development authority.
District, created by Section 19-5-99, Mississippi Code of 1972, 316
and to transfer, donate or sell any part of the assets, 317
liabilities and other responsibilities and obligations of the 318
district, to the alliance under such terms and conditions as may 319
be in the best interest of the county, or as may be otherwise 320
required by law to effectuate the intent of this act. 321
SECTION 12. The alliance is authorized to apply for and 322
accept grants and loans on behalf of the alliance, the county and 323
any contracting municipality from the State of Mississippi or the 324
United States of America or any agency thereof, and to contract 325
with any agency of the State of Mississippi and United States of 326
America for the development of the county. 327
SECTION 13. This act shall be deemed to be full and complete 328
authority for the exercise of the powers herein granted, but this 329
act shall not be deemed to repeal or to be in derogation of any 330
existing law of this state whereunder projects of the character 331
herein defined may be constructed or financed. 332
SECTION 14. The board of supervisors is authorized and 333
empowered to adopt any and all lawful resolutions, orders and/or 334
ordinances; to execute such documents, contracts, leases, 335
certificates and indentures; and to do and perform any and all 336
acts and things necessary and requisite to carry out the purposes 337
of this act. 338
SECTION 15. This act shall take effect and be in force from 339
and after its passage. 340