This evaluation of the land office was conducted to determine if the office was operated efficiently, economically, and in compliance with applicable statutes. Agency budgets, annual reports, and job descriptions were reviewed.
The PEER Committee recommended the transfer of the record keeping and record searching activities of the land office to the Secretary of State. No additional personnel would be needed, as the Secretary would be responsible for the office and two of the three land office clerical personnel. The Tax Commission should be assigned the function of determining the validity of tax-forfeited land and processing applications to purchase public lands. One responsible employee would be needed in the Tax Commission to review and sign documents related to tax-forfeited lands. Surveying and classifying sixteenth section lands in the Choctaw lands should be the responsibility of the Forestry Commission, already involved in sixteenth section land management. Since the land commissioner has been transferring trespass complaints to the Forestry Commission, the commission should be responsible for investigating trespass of public lands as well. Therefore, the Committee recommended that the offices of land commissioner and deputy commissioner be abolished.
For a paper copy of this report, contact PEER by telephone at 601-359-1226 or by e-mail at reports@peer.ms.gov.