61-4-7 - Division of Mississippi Wayport Authority created within Office of the Governor; executive director; advisory council.
§ 61-4-7. Division of Mississippi Wayport Authority created within Office of the Governor; executive director; advisory council.
(1) There is created within the Office of the Governor a division to be known as the "Mississippi Wayport Authority" for the performance of essential public functions. The Governor shall appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, an executive director, who shall serve at the will and pleasure of the Governor. The Governor shall prescribe the duties of and fix the compensation of such executive director. The executive director shall have the authority to employ and dismiss employees of the Authority.
(2) The executive director shall administer, manage and direct the affairs and business of the Authority, subject to the policies, direction, control and approval of the Governor.
(3) The Mississippi Department of Economic and Community Development shall cooperate with and provide any needed technical assistance to effectuate the duties of the Mississippi Wayport Authority.
(4) There is hereby established a Mississippi Wayport Authority Advisory Council which shall act in a purely advisory capacity to the executive director of the Authority. The council shall be composed of the Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Economic and Community Development, the chief executive officer of the Institute for Technology Development, or his designee, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, three (3) Senators appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, three (3) House members appointed by the Speaker of the House, a representative of the Delta Council appointed by the Governor from the membership of the Delta Council, and one (1) member appointed by the Governor from each congressional district as such districts existed on January 1, 1989. The legislative members thereof shall report the actions of the Authority to the appropriate legislative committees. The advisory council shall meet upon the call of the Lieutenant Governor. The advisory council shall have no jurisdiction or vote on any matter within the jurisdiction of the Authority. When the Legislature is not in session, legislative members may be paid per diem and all actual and necessary expenses, including mileage expenses, from their respective contingent expense funds at the rate authorized for committee meetings when the Legislature is not in session; however, no per diem and expenses will be paid legislative members when the Legislature is in session. The Authority may reimburse non-legislative members funds for their expenses and per diem. The terms of the elected members of the advisory council shall expire at the end of their terms of office. Non-elected members shall serve for terms concurrent with the appointing Governor or as long as they hold the position by which they are entitled to ex officio membership on the advisory council.
Sources: Laws, 1989, ch. 535, § 4, eff from and after passage (approved April 17, 1989).