Qualifications and duties of county officials

With qualifying now in progress for county offices, here is a look at the qualifications and their general duties, as set forth by law:

Chancery clerk

Qualifications: Qualified elector and two-year resident. Duties: As the clerk of the Board of Supervisors and the chancery court, the clerk is responsible for maintaining the records of both and is present for all meetings of the Board of Supervisors.

Circuit clerk

Qualifications: Qualified elector and two-year resident. Duties: The circuit clerk is the chief officer of the circuit court and the chief elections officer of the county. The clerk maintains the voter rolls and assists the election commissioners in purging the voter rolls. The clerk works with other election officials in conducting the elections held in the county.

Constable

Qualifications: Qualified elector and two-year resident of the appropriate district. The constable is required to attend a training session. Duties: Constables are charged with keeping the peace by assisting in executing the criminal laws of the state for the justice court. Constables serve process, warrants and citations.

Coroner

Qualifications: Qualified elector and two-year resident. Must be at least 21 and possess a high school diploma or equivalent. The elected coroner must attend the Mississippi Crime Laboratory and State Medical Examiner Investigation Training School. Duties: As the chief county medical examiner, the coroner is responsible for issuing declarations of death and reporting results of autopsies in cases requiring such action.

County attorney

Qualifications: Qualified elector and two-year resident. Must be a regular licensed and practicing attorney. Duties: The county prosecuting attorney represents the state in justice court and may assist the district attorney, present matters to the grand jury and participate in some youth court proceedings.

Justice court judge

Qualifications: Qualified elector and two-year resident. Must be a high school graduate or equivalent. The winner must complete a course of training within six months of the beginning of the term of office. Duties: Justice court judges have civil and criminal jurisdiction of all actions where the principal of the debt, amount of the demand or the value of the property sought to be recovered is not more than $3,500. The court deals with misdemeanor cases and any traffic offenses that occur outside a municipality. Justice Court judges may conduct bond hearings and preliminary hearings in felony criminal cases and may issue search warrants.

Tax assessor

Qualifications: Qualified elector and two-year resident. Duties: The assessor maintains the personal, real and ad valorem tax rolls of the county. This includes setting values for each parcel of real and personal property, maintaining maps and records, and processing homestead filings.

Tax collector

Qualifications: Qualified elector and two-year resident. Duties: The collector is responsible for keeping the records of tax payments and depositing the money in the county treasury. The collector is responsible for the collection of taxes on real property, personal property, manufactured homes, automobiles, motorcycles, motor homes, trailers and airplanes. Alcorn County’s tax collector also collects municipal taxes for the town of Rienzi and the city of Farmington.

Sheriff

Qualifications: In addition to being a qualified elector and two-year resident, the sheriff not be “a defaulter to the state, any county or municipality, or to the United States.” Training is required for those who do not have five years of experience as a full-time enforcement officer, have not previously served as sheriff or have not completed training at the state academy. Duties: The sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of the county and is in charge of the county courthouse, jail and protection of prisoners. The juvenile detention center is also the sheriff’s responsibility.

Supervisor

Qualifications: Qualified elector in the appropriate district and two-year resident. Duties: Supervisors have the power to adopt, modify or repeal orders, resolutions or ordinances of the county. Supervisors have jurisdiction over roads, bridges, tax levies, the courthouse, jails, county-owned real property, appropriation of funds and other powers authorized by law.

Election commissioner

Qualifications: Qualified elector in the appropriate district and two-year resident. Duties: General duties include conducting elections, certifying election results and purging voter rolls.

State senator

Qualifications: At least 25 years old, a qualified elector of the state for four years and a resident of the district for two years before the election date.

State representative

Qualifications: At least 21 years old, a qualified elector and resident of the state for four years, and a resident of the district for two years before the election date.

(Sources include the Mississippi code and Secretary of State’s Office.)