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Board accepts high 16th‑section bid subject to lessee match, approves lone second tract bid
Summary
After opening sealed bids for two 16th‑section tracts, the board approved a $100,000 bid from the Warren County Board of Supervisors for the larger tract subject to the current lessee's right to match; it approved a separate $8,250 bid from Swamp Donkey Properties LLC for the smaller tract and authorized advertising of a hunting/fishing lease.
The Vicksburg Warren School District board opened sealed bids for two 16th‑section tracts and approved motions selecting the highest qualifying offers.
Briggs Hobson read bids for Track 1 (Kings Point, ~643.92 acres) and Track 2 (275.5 acres). For Track 1, bidders included private individuals and the Warren County Board of Supervisors, which placed the highest qualifying bid of $100,000. Board member (speaker 4) made a motion to approve the $100,000 selection "subject to the current lessee's right to match." The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote; the board president declared, "Motion is approved."
For Track 2, the lone qualifying bid was from Swamp Donkey Properties LLC at the advertised minimum ($8,250). The board moved, seconded and approved awarding that tract to Swamp Donkey Properties.
The board also approved a request to advertise a hunting and fishing lease for another 16th‑section parcel and processed a small lease renewal from AT&T BellSouth Communications for a utility equipment pad (nominal fee noted).
Why it matters: Sixteenth‑section lands are a long-standing revenue and land-management mechanism for Mississippi school districts; sales or leases can affect future local revenues and land use. Board members explicitly preserved the current lessee’s right to match in the Kings Point selection, a procedural protection that can affect whether the county's bid results in a transfer.
Actions taken included motions to accept the bids (voice votes) and to advertise the hunting lease; staff were asked to provide required documentation about bid advertising when requested.
