Tunica County supervisors on May 29 debated whether to continue annually renewing permits for outdoor advertising structures and discussed enforcement for poorly maintained billboards along U.S. 61.

A supervisor asked whether the county should assess the condition of existing billboard structures before issuing or renewing permits. "Maybe we renew based on the condition of the structure, whether it's being maintained," the supervisor said, arguing that allowing decrepit structures to remain reflects poorly on the community. Planning staff confirmed permits are renewed annually while the physical structure remains on the land.

The board discussed specific clusters on U.S. 61 near the post office and casino strip area and the cost borne by one landowner to keep a structure in place. "He was not getting the billboard company that used to rent it wasn't paying him anymore. So he was getting no revenue off of it, but yet it was still his. So he called me and said, will you find somebody to take it down so I can quit paying that $2,500? Because the billboard company doesn't own that structure. The landowner does," one participant said.

Planning staff said they would follow up with billboard owners and companies to discuss removal of structures that have not been in use and to evaluate whether nonrenewal is appropriate when maintenance is not being performed. The discussion did not result in an immediate policy change; no specific permits were revoked at the meeting.