Mississippi Advisory Opinions June 14, 1983: 19830614 (June 14, 1983)

Advisory Opinion Text

Mrs. Maurine H. Bain

Clerk of the Circuit Court

Post Office Box 262

Ashland, Mississippi 38603

Dear Mrs. Baine:

Attorney General Bill Allain has received your opinion request and has assigned it to me for research and reply, your letter of request stating:

“I would like to have an opinion from your office on the following questions relative to qualifications for certain offices in Benton County.

“First, does a candidate for the office of supervisor have to own property in the amount of $1, 500.00 or more in order to qualify? Does this property have to be land and does this property have to be located in the Supervisor's District in which the candidate is running? Does this property have to be owned by the individual alone or can it be an interest in an estate or an interest in a business?

“Second, I would like to know if a candidate for any office (other than Supervisor) must live in the district in which he is seeking office or can he reside in a different district if he owns property in the district where he is running for an office?”

Section 19-3-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, states as follows:

“A person shall not be a member of the board of supervisors who is not a resident freeholder in the district for which he is chosen, and the owner of real estate of the value of one thousand five hundred dollars.”

In order for one to qualify to run for supervisor, his or her ownership interest in the real estate would have to have a value of not less than $1, 500.00 above any indebtedness.

A candidate for public office must be a qualified elector of the district he or she offers to serve.

Yours very truly,

Bill Allain, Attorney General