INITIATIVE MEASURE NO. 6
SPONSOR: Dale Schwindaman, P.O. Box 3439, Jackson, MS 39207; 601-948-0099
SUBJECT MATTER: Municipal Annexation
BALLOT TITLE: Should a majority vote be required before a municipality
may annex territory?
BALLOT SUMMARY: This initiative would amend the Mississippi Constitution
to require a majority vote of residents in a proposed annexation area before a
municipality could annex. If the municipal population or size would increase by
more than 5%, a majority vote of the municipality's voters would also be
required. If more than 70% of the area's land was owned by non-residents, owners
of more than half of the land parcels would also be required to consent.
ORIGINAL FILING: April 17, 1995
STATUS: Expired.
Initiative Information
The official ballot title and ballot summary for an initiative measure are
prepared by the Mississippi Attorney General's Office. Initiative petitions are
valid for one year. According to Mississippi law, for an initiative petition to
be sufficient a minimum of 91,673 certified signatures must be gathered; with at
least 18,355 certified signatures from each of the five congressional districts.
The number of signatures required represents 12% of the total number of votes
cast for Governor in the last gubernatorial general election. All signatures on
the petition must be certified by county Circuit Clerks as those of registered
Mississippi voters.
For more information on the initiative process in Mississippi, consult the
Mississippi Constitution of 1890, Section 273; and Miss. Code Ann., Sections
23-17-1 through 23-17-61 (1972).