Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 65 - HIGHWAYS, BRIDGES AND FERRIES (§§ 65-1-1 — 65-43-85) › Chapter 9 - STATE AID ROADS IN COUNTIES (§§ 65-9-1 — 65-9-35) › Section 65-9-17 - State aid funds

(1)
When any county shall have met the requirements of this chapter and shall have become eligible for state aid, the State Aid Engineer, as soon as practicable, shall notify such county in writing of such eligibility and that its proportionate part of any state funds allocated to it for state aid may be utilized for construction in the manner provided by law, and such notice shall also be given in writing to the Department of Finance and Administration and to the State Treasurer.
(2)
State aid funds shall be allocated to each county for use on state aid system roads or roads on the Local System Road Program in accordance with the provisions of Section
27-65-75
.
(3)
State aid funds may be credited to a county in advance of the normal accrual to finance certain state aid improvements, subject to the approval of the State Aid Engineer and subject further to the following limitations:
(a)
That the maximum amount of state aid funds that may be advanced to any county shall not exceed ninety percent (90%) of the state aid funds estimated to accrue to such county during the remainder of the term of office of the board of supervisors of such county.
(b)
That no advance credit of funds will be made to any county when the unobligated balance in the State Aid Road Fund is less than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00).
(c)
That such advance crediting of funds be effected by the State Aid Engineer at the time of the approval of the plans and specifications for the proposed improvements.
It is the intent of this provision to utilize to the fullest practicable extent the balance of state aid funds on hand at all times.
(4)
State aid funds shall be available to such county to the following extent and in the following manner:
(a)
On state aid projects, other than those on or off the federal aid secondary system to be partially financed with federal funds, state aid funds credited to such county in the State Aid Road Fund shall be available to cover the cost of such project. Upon the awarding of a contract for such state aid project, the board of supervisors of any county will, by an official order of the board, authorize the State Aid Engineer to set up the project fund for such project from that county's state aid fund in the State Treasury. The amount of the project fund will cover the estimated cost of the project, including the contractor's payments and any other costs authorized under this chapter to be paid from state aid funds. Withdrawals from the project fund will be made by requisitions prepared by the State Aid Engineer, based on estimates and other supporting statements and documents prepared or approved by the county engineer, such requisitions, accompanied by such estimates and statements, to be directed to the Department of Finance and Administration, which will issue warrants in payment thereof. Requisitions may be drawn to cover the final cost of the project accepted by the boards of supervisors of the counties affected and the State Aid Engineer, even though such cost exceeds the aforesaid estimated project fund. Whenever, in the opinion of the State Aid Engineer, it should appear that any such estimate or statement of account has been improperly allowed or that any road construction project is not proceeding in accordance with the plans, specifications and standards set up therefor, then, in such event, due notice in writing shall be given the board of supervisors of such county and the contractor on such project, if any, stating the reason why such account should not have been allowed or why such project is not progressing satisfactorily; and if, within thirty (30) days from the date of such notice in writing, such error or default is not corrected to the satisfaction of the State Aid Engineer, all state aid funds theretofore allocated to such eligible county shall be immediately withdrawn and notice given the Department of Finance and Administration and the State Treasurer that such county has become ineligible therefor. Such county shall remain ineligible until it again becomes eligible by satisfying the State Aid Engineer as to its eligibility.
(b)
On state aid projects on the federal aid secondary system which are to be partially financed with federal funds, state aid funds credited to such county in the State Aid Road Fund shall be available to cover the sponsor's share of the cost of such project. At the same time, the State Treasurer, on order from the board of supervisors, shall transfer an amount up to one hundred percent (100%) of such cost from the credit of such county in the State Aid Road Fund to the credit of such county in the State Highway Fund, earmarked for such project.
(c)
State aid road funds credited to a county in the State Aid Road Fund shall also be available to cover the sponsor's cost of any other project of such county which is partially financed with federal funds available through federal "safer off-system" road funds and/or other federal road funds allocated to the counties as provided for in accordance with Section
65-9-29(2)
. On order from the board of supervisors of such county, the State Treasurer shall transfer an amount up to one hundred percent (100%) of such cost from the credit of such county in the State Aid Road Fund to the credit of such county in the State Highway Fund, earmarked for such project.
(d)
Up to one-third (1/3) of state aid road funds credited to a county in the State Aid Road Fund may be available to match federal bridge replacement monies or other federal funds, or both, to construct, replace, inspect or post bridges and to conduct pavement management surveys on county roads which are not on the state aid system. To implement such projects, the State Treasurer shall, as requested in an order from the board of supervisors of the county, make transfers out of the credit of such county in the State Aid Road Fund.
(e)
Up to twenty-five percent (25%) of the state aid road funds credited to a county in the State Aid Road Fund may be available for projects authorized under the Local System Road Program. Withdrawals from the fund for the Local System Road Program will be made by requisitions prepared by the State Aid Engineer, based on estimates and other supporting statements and documents prepared or approved by the county engineer; such requisitions, accompanied by such estimates and statements, to be directed to the Department of Finance and Administration, which will issue warrants in payment thereof. Requisitions may be drawn to cover the final cost of the local system road project accepted by the boards of supervisors of the counties affected and the State Aid Engineer even though such cost exceeds the aforesaid estimated project fund. Whenever, in the opinion of the State Aid Engineer, it should appear that any such estimate or statement of account has been improperly allowed or that any road construction project is not proceeding in accordance with the plans, specifications and standards set up therefor, then, in such event, due notice in writing shall be given the board of supervisors of such county and the contractor on such project, if any, stating the reason why such account should not have been allowed or why such project is not progressing satisfactorily; and if, within thirty (30) days from the date of such notice in writing, such error or default is not corrected to the satisfaction of the State Aid Engineer, all state aid funds theretofore allocated to such eligible county shall be immediately withdrawn and notice given the Department of Finance and Administration and the State Treasurer that such county has become ineligible therefor. Such county shall remain ineligible until it again becomes eligible by satisfying the State Aid Engineer as to its eligibility.
(5)
The State Treasurer is hereby authorized to continue to receive and deposit all funds from the federal government made available by it, either by existing law or by any law which may be passed hereafter, to the credit of the State Highway Fund, and the Treasurer shall notify the commission of the amounts so received.
All accounts against the above-mentioned funds shall be certified to by the Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, who shall request the Department of Finance and Administration to issue its warrant on the State Treasurer for the amount of the accounts; and the Treasurer shall pay same if sufficient funds are available, all in the manner prescribed herein or as may be required by law.
(6)
The board of supervisors of each county is hereby authorized and empowered to pay funds into the State Treasury in the manner above set out, and to use and expend such funds for the purposes set out in this chapter. For the purpose of providing such funds, the board of supervisors is hereby authorized and empowered to use and expend any county road and bridge funds, including revenue received from any gasoline taxes paid to such county, or any funds available in the General Fund, or to issue road and bridge bonds of such county in any lawful amount in the manner and method and subject to the restrictions, limitations and conditions, and payable from the same sources of revenue, now provided by law.
(7)
(a)
In addition to any other provisions of this section, funds deposited into the State Aid Road Fund under Section
27-67-31(g)
shall be used under this chapter to prioritize the timely repair and replacement of deficient state aid system bridges. Each county shall be allocated a percentage of such funds as they become available, which percentage shall be based:
(i)
One-half (1/2) on the proportion that the total number of state aid system bridges in the county bears to the total number of state aid system bridges in all counties of the state; and
(ii)
One-half (1/2) on the proportion that the total square footage of deck area of all state aid system bridges in the county bears to the total square footage of deck area of all state aid system bridges in all counties of the state.
(b)
For the purposes of this subsection, (i) the term "deficient bridge" means a bridge with a condition rating of fair or less for its deck, superstructure or substructure, as determined by National Bridge Inspection Standards and that is included on the latest annual bridge inventory prepared by the Office of State Aid Road Construction and (ii) the term "state aid system bridge" means a bridge that is included on the latest annual official bridge inventory prepared by the Office of State Aid Road Construction, excluding bridges on the local bridge system and the rural major collector system.
Codes, 1942, § 8035-05; Laws, 1949, Ex. Sess. ch. 6, § 8; Laws, 1952, ch. 288; Laws, 1962, ch. 447; Laws, 1968, ch. 470, § 1; Laws, 1970, ch. 438, § 1; Laws, 1978, ch. 516, § 3; Laws, 1981, ch. 464, § 31; Laws, 1988 Ex Sess, ch. 14, § 46; Laws, 1989, ch. 368, § 1; Laws, 1992, ch. 325 § 1; Laws, 1995, ch. 401, § 1; Laws, 2001, ch. 492, § 11, eff. 7/1/2001.
Amended by Laws, 2023, ch. 524, HB 1734,§ 2, eff. 7/1/2023.