Mississippi Code Title 59. Ports, Harbors, Landings and Watercraft § 59-17-23

Any port or harbor, or any part thereof, and all facilities, structures, lands or other improvements, leased by, acquired by or conveyed to the state shall be operated by the board acting through a state inland port authority for such port or harbor, except as may be otherwise provided in this chapter. Such port authority shall be vested, in addition to the rights, powers and duties conferred hereunder, with the same jurisdiction, and the same rights, powers, and duties vested by law, in other port authorities within the state. Any conflict with other laws shall be governed by this chapter.

The state inland port authority shall consist of one member from the county in which the port is located and one member from each county that is contiguous to the county in which the port is located to be appointed for a period of four years by the respective board of supervisors of each of those counties, provided each county has levied the two mills required in Sections 59-17-19 and 59-17-21 and the governor shall appoint one member from each participating county outlined above of which two mills has been levied, plus one additional member from any one of the participating counties outlined above of which two mills has been levied. The initial terms by the governor's appointees shall be staggered, one member appointed for two years and others by adding one additional year; no term shall exceed five years. The number of years to be served on regular terms shall be the same number as the number of governor's appointees.

In the event the contracting agency is any master water management district, the board shall consist of the following: one member from the county in which the port is located and one member from each county that is contiguous to the county in which the port is located to be appointed by the respective boards of supervisors for a period of four years, and the governor shall appoint one member from each of the counties outlined above, plus one additional member from any one of the counties outlined above. The governor's five appointees' initial terms shall be for one, two, three, four and five years respectively, but all succeeding appointments shall be for terms of five years.