Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 21 - MUNICIPALITIES (§§ 21-1-1 — 21-47-5) › Chapter 27 - PUBLIC UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION (§§ 21-27-1 — 21-27-221) › METROPOLITAN AREA WASTE DISPOSAL (§§ 21-27-161 — 21-27-191) › Section 21-27-189 - Other powers and authority of municipality

A municipality, as defined in Section
21-27-163
, is authorized and empowered, in the discretion of its governmental authorities, to exercise the following powers and authority within the area and territories comprising the metropolitan area of which it is a part:
(a)
To operate and manage sewerage systems, sewage treatment facilities and sewage disposal systems and related facilities serving the metropolitan area in conformance with the metropolitan area plan.
(b)
To construct, operate and maintain sewerage systems, sewage treatment facilities and sewage disposal systems in the manner and to the extent required by the metropolitan area plan.
(c)
To accept and utilize grants and other funds from any source for waste treatment management purposes.
(d)
To establish and maintain rates and charges in equitable proportion for the use of the services and benefits rendered of such sewerage systems, sewage treatment facilities and sewage disposal systems within the metropolitan area, and from time to time to adjust such rates, to the end that the revenues therefrom will be sufficient at all times to pay the expenses of operating and maintaining such works, facilities and systems and all of the municipality's obligations under any contract or bond resolution with respect thereto. The rates shall be just and reasonable, and rates may not be unreasonably preferential, prejudicial or discriminatory but shall be sufficient, equitable and consistent in application to each class of users. While the municipality may set different rates for different classifications of users, a municipality shall not discriminate in setting rates among members of the same classification. The governing authorities of the municipality shall make a finding on the minutes of the governing body establishing the rate based upon the actual cost to operate and maintain the system, and a municipality shall not charge a user a fee for services received which is less than the cost incurred by the municipality to provide such services.
(e)
To incur short and long-term indebtedness under the provisions of Sections
21-27-161
through
21-27-191
or other applicable statutes.
(f)
To adopt rules and regulations necessary to carry out the implementation of the metropolitan area plan and to assure the payment of each participating person or public agency of its proportionate share of treatment costs.
(g)
To refuse to receive any waste from any public agency or subdivision thereof or any other person which does not comply with the provisions of the metropolitan area plan applicable to the particular area within which such public agency or subdivision thereof or any other person is located.
(h)
To accept industrial waste for treatment and to require the pretreatment of same when within the opinion of the municipality such pretreatment is necessary.
(i)
To adopt all necessary and reasonable rules and regulations to carry out and effectuate any waste treatment plan adopted for the metropolitan area.
(j)
To require by ordinance or by contract with a public agency or other person that all waste within the metropolitan area be disposed of through sewerage systems, treatment facilities and sewage disposal systems which comprise a part of the metropolitan area plan, to the extent that the same may be available, but no public agency shall be precluded from constructing, operating and maintaining its own sewerage system if the same be a part of the metropolitan area plan.
Laws, 1975, ch. 496, § 15, eff. 4/7/1975.
Amended by Laws, 2023, ch. 467, HB 698,§ 2, eff. 7/1/2023.