Unit System

No road districts, separate road districts, or special road districts in any county.

Supervisors districts shall not serve as road districts.

Construction and maintenance of roads and bridges are managed based on the needs of the county as a whole.

Any real and personal property of any road district becomes the property of the countywide system of road administration.

County Administrator

The County Administrator is appointed by the Board of Supervisors and must be other than a member of the Board.

The Chancery Clerk is eligible to serve as County Administrator if the Board chooses and the Clerk agrees.

The County Administrator must have knowledgeable experience in any of the following fields: work projection, budget planning, accounting, purchasing, cost control or personnel management.

He shall administer all county affairs falling under the control of the Board.

He shall carry out all the general policies of the Board.

He may be assigned duties and responsibilities not contrary to state law or the Constitution and not assigned by law to other offices.

Road Manager

The county road manager is appointed by the Board to administer the countywide road department, supervise the working, construction and maintenance of the public roads and the building of bridges and carries out the general policies of the Board.

The county road manager employs all assistants and employees as necessary.

The county road manager assigns all equipment, has jurisdiction over personnel and assignments of personnel, and is responsible for purchasing all equipment, supplies and materials for the road department.

County Engineer

The Board of Supervisors has the discretion to employ a county engineer, civil engineer, or qualified person to perform the duties of county engineer, and assistants, as the Board deems necessary.

On all projects exceeding $25,000, the employment of a qualified engineer is required whether the work is done by county or through contract.

On required projects, the engineer may be employed for the particular work, rather than a term.

Road Facilities

The Board shall establish and maintain one central road repair and maintenance facility for the county.

Additional road facilities may be established if the Board determines such facilities to be essential.

The Board may buy or lease real property for these facilities with leases not exceeding 25-year terms.

Supervisor Offices

The Attorney General has ruled that individual supervisors in a unit county have no authority over the everyday working of the roads, and have no authority to maintain an office in any maintenance facility. All supervisor offices should be located in the courthouse or another appropriate facility located at the county seat.

Four Year Road Plan

Each member of the Board must inspect every road and bridge, under the jurisdiction of the county, at least once each year.

Before Feb. 1 each year, the Board must adopt and spread upon its minutes a four-year plan for the construction and maintenance of county roads and bridges.

Countywide Personnel System

The Board must adopt and maintain a countywide system of personnel administration for all county employees. The personnel system is administered by the county administrator. All employees of the county are employees of the county as a whole, and not of any particular supervisor district.

The elected officials of the county, other than members of the Board, must adopt and maintain a system of personnel administration for their respective employees or adopt the system of personnel administration adopted by the Board.

Central Purchasing System

Each county in Mississippi (both Unit and Beat Systems) is required to establish and operate a central purchasing system in compliance with the same laws.

Supervisors in a unit county cannot make purchases under any circumstances.