Zachary, 121879 MSAGO, 19791218

• Case Date: December 18, 1979
• Court: Mississippi

Honorable Francis T. Zachary No. 19791218 Mississippi Attorney General Opinions December 18, 1979          Honorable Francis T. Zachary          Attorney At Law          Post Office Box 24          Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39401          Re: Pat Harrison Waterway District—Guest Expenses           Dear Mr. Zachary:          Your letter request of December 13, 1979, addressed to Honorable A. F. Summer, Attorney General, has been received and assigned to this writer for research and reply. Your letter states:

‘On April 7, 1978, your office rendered an Attorney General's opinion to the Pat Harrison Waterway District in regard to the allowance of expenses of guests to the Pat Harrison Waterway District. That opinion was rendered by R. Hugo Newcomb, Sr., Assistant Attorney General. ‘The Pat Harrison Waterway District wishes to request an Attorney General's opinion in regard to the following, to-wit: 1) To what extent would guest expenses be compensable by the Pat Harrison Waterway District? 2) Should expenses of guests such as legislators, Board of Supervisors, Congressmen, Senators, Corps of Engineers personnel, and other parties who directly have a working relationship with the District, be considered in the terminology of guests as rendered by Mr. Newcomb on April 7, 1978? 3) In relation to Section 51–15–120 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, Annotated, is the payment of travel insurance premiums for members of the Board of the Pat Harrison Waterway District, its Executive Director and staff within the auspices of said statute section?

         ATTACHMENT          April 7, 1978          Honorable William W. Wicht, Jr., Attorney          Pat Harrison Waterway District          Post Office Drawer 911          Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39401          Dear Mr. Wicht:          Attorney General Summer has received your request of March 29, 1978, for an opinion on the questions you present and has assigned it to the undersigned for research and reply.          First, you ask:

‘Is the Pat Harrison Waterway District empowered to provide meals for Directors, staff members and guests at the time of their monthly meetings?’

         Section 51–15–105(c), Mississippi Code of 1972, Annotated, provides:

Each director shall receive a per diem not to exceed twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per day for attending each day's meeting of the board and for each day spent in attending to the necessary business of the district and, in addition, he may receive reimbursement for

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