Bill > HB1870

This bill authorizes the Board of Supervisors of Bolivar County, Mississippi, to create a utility district to take over the ownership, control, operation, and maintenance of the Choctaw Sewer Association System, which includes facilities like lift stations and treatment lagoons. The county board can use its own funds or apply for grants to repair and improve this sewer system, and can transfer existing county assets related to the system to the new utility district. The bill outlines a specific process for creating this utility district, bypassing certain standard procedures, and vests its management and operation solely in a board of commissioners appointed by the county board, which will also have the power to levy taxes and make assessments for the system. The utility district will be exempt from needing a certificate of public necessity from the Mississippi Public Service Commission because the system is already built, and it will have the authority to contract for services and to arrange for water service shut-offs for customers who are delinquent on their sewer bills. Once the utility district is established and assets are transferred, the county will work with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to remove the county from any permits related to the sewer system.

Government Affairs

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history/HB/HB1870.xml