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Harrison County supervisors debate lease, sale and surplus rules for marsh parcel on East Taylor
Summary
Supervisors discussed options for a county-owned marsh parcel at the end of East Taylor — including a long-term lease to an adjacent property owner, declaring the parcel surplus and putting it to bid, or seeking an attorney general opinion to permit a direct sale — but took no formal action.
Harrison County supervisors discussed how to handle a county-owned marsh parcel at the end of East Taylor after an adjacent property owner requested control of the tract to use as a buffer and to prevent dumping. No formal vote was recorded on the matter in the transcript excerpts.
Board members described the parcel as marshland that cannot be built upon and said trash and unauthorized camping have been recurring problems. Supervisors and staff reviewed three options: grant a long-term lease (a 10-year lease was suggested and 25 years mentioned), declare the parcel surplus and put it out for competitive bid, or request an opinion from the Mississippi attorney general on whether the county may sell the tract directly to an individual without following surplus-property statutes.
County counsel and supervisors noted legal constraints on selling county property: to sell a nonutility tract without competitive bidding typically requires following the surplus property process, which includes declaring property surplus and advertising for bids. One supervisor said the Development Commission’s authority to sell property without declaring surplus had been a point of past disagreement and that an attorney general opinion would be required to allow a private sale without going to bid.
On leasing, supervisors discussed contract language to limit long-term risk, including provisions making a lease renewable at the start of each board term or expressly subject to future board action. A supervisor said a lease could be written for a long term but include a clause that the lease would be subject to renewal or board cancellation when a future board takes office. Another supervisor recommended asking the interested person whether a 10-year lease would be acceptable before pursuing other options.
Board members referenced prior controversy about the parcel, noting there had been earlier approval that was later rescinded; the transcript records concerns about precedent created by selling county land directly to an individual. Supervisors instructed staff to contact the interested party and report back with options; no final directive or binding motion was recorded in the provided excerpts.
