Mississippi Code Title 51. Waters, Water Resources, Water Districts, Drainage, and Flood Control § 51-29-147

Upon the adoption of such resolution, the said board of commissioners of said drainage district may file its petition in the chancery court of any one of the counties in which it embraces land, requesting said court, or the chancellor thereof in vacation, to set a date for a hearing upon said proposal, either in term time or vacation, not less than three weeks after the date of the decree fixing the same, and to direct the clerk of said court to give notice of the time, date, and place of such hearing by publication at least once each week for two consecutive weeks. Such notice shall be published in a newspaper or newspapers having general circulation in each of the counties in which any of said districts shall embrace land, the date of the first publication to be not less than ten days prior to the date set for said hearing. Said notice shall be addressed to the officials, landowners, taxpayers, and other persons interested in said drainage districts proposed to be affected by said consolidation, shall contain a statement that written protests or objections to the proposed consolidation may be filed with the clerk of said court at any time prior to the date set for said hearing, and shall state that a failure to so file such written protest or objection prior to said date shall forever bar and preclude such protest or objection. Said notice may be in substantially the following form:

NOTICE

TO THE OFFICIALS, LANDOWNERS, AND TAXPAYERS OF, AND OTHER PERSONS INTERESTED IN (Here name all of the drainage districts proposed to be affected):

Notice is hereby given that the Board of Commissioners of (here insert name of the drainage district making the proposal) has filed its petition in the Chancery Court of __________ County, Mississippi, proposing to combine the territory of (here insert names of tributary drainage districts proposed to be consolidated) with that of said (drainage district making proposal), so as to form of such combined territory a single consolidated drainage district embracing the territory of all of said districts, under the governing authority of a single Board of Commissioners to be appointed by said court (or chancellor in vacation), said proposed consolidated drainage district to have all of the power and authority of a drainage district organized and existing under Chapter 29, Title 51, Mississippi Code of 1972.

Notice is further given that said matter has been set for hearing by the Chancery Court of __________ County, Mississippi (or the chancellor thereof in vacation, as the case may be) at __________ o'clock __________ M. on the day of __________ 20___, at the county court house at __________, Mississippi; and that any official, landowner or taxpayer of, or other person interested in any of the aforesaid drainage districts, who desires to oppose such proposed consolidation, must file his protest or objection in writing with the clerk of said court prior to said date set for said hearing, and that a failure to do so before said date forever will preclude and bar such protest or objection.

Witness my hand and seal of office, this ___ day of __________ 20___