Mississippi Code Title 59. Ports, Harbors, Landings and Watercraft § 59-9-17

The board of supervisors of any county in which there has been created a county port authority or county development commission as provided in this chapter, acting for and on behalf of the county, is hereby given the authority through the county port authority, county development commission, or such other agencies as hereinafter may be provided by law, to engage in work of internal improvement or promoting, developing, constructing, maintaining and operating harbors, channels and other navigation projects within the county and the waters adjacent thereto and to develop land for industrial operations in connection therewith, and shall have the power to acquire, purchase, install, lease, construct, manufacture, own, maintain, repair, equip, use, control and operate wharves, piers, docks, ways, elevators, compresses, warehouses, roadways, floating dry docks, graving docks, marine railways, tugboats, ships, vessels, shipyards, shipbuilding facilities, machinery and equipment, ship components, systems, parts, fuel, tourism or service facilities and materials required or incidental to any of such purposes; and all other facilities and equipment reasonably necessary or useful in the operation of harbor facilities, and water, air and rail terminals, and such other structures, facilities, lands, property or rights therein needful for the convenient use of the same in the aid of commerce, and to deepen any part of said harbor and to extend, enlarge or add to the same by dredging in any direction, including inland, and to acquire land or any estate therein needed to carry out the purposes of this chapter in connection therewith. Such harbor facilities, tourism facilities, and service facilities, except those privately owned as a part of or in connection with industrial operations, shall always be and remain under the management and control of such county through the county port authority or county development commission or such other governing agency or agencies, as may hereinafter be provided by law, or under the joint management and control of such county and the municipality in which the port of entry is located, acting through the county port authority or county development commission and municipal port commission. All prior purchases, acceptances and other acquisitions of land or estates therein by the county in conformity with the purposes of this chapter, whether or not heretofore specifically authorized by law are hereby ratified, approved and confirmed. All acts, orders and resolutions of the board of supervisors of the county and the county port authority or county development commission adopted prior to October 20, 1961, which find and adjudicate the public necessity of acquiring lands for the purposes stated in this chapter, are hereby ratified, approved and confirmed; and such acts, orders and resolutions of the board of supervisors and the county port authority or county development commission shall, without any further acts upon the part of the board of supervisors of the county or the county port authority or county development commission, have the same force and effect as if adopted pursuant to this chapter.