Cindy Austin
PO Box 39
201 Courthouse Square
Raleigh, MS 39153
Phone: 601-782-9811
Fax: 601-782-4690
(The Chancery Clerk Records and Chancery Court Sessions are now in the new Chancery Building across from the Smith County Courthouse.)
The Smith County Chancery Clerk is elected at large for a 4-year term. The title “Chancery Clerk” can’t begin to describe the various duties and responsibilities attendant to the office. The chancery clerk assists not only the functions of the chancellor and the court but assists the board of supervisors and plays a vital role in many county affairs, as well. The duties of the chancery clerk include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: Clerk of the Court, Custodian of Public Land Records, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, County Auditor, and County Treasurer.
Clerk of the Chancery Court:
- Attending and maintaining the minutes of the chancery court
- Creating and maintaining files for each chancery court suit
- Issuing process for service upon defendants
- Recording the court’s activities in various dockets and minute books
- Scheduling courtroom time (where counties share a common courtroom between chancery and circuit, or other, courts)
- Maintaining dockets (in those districts without a court administrator who performs this duty)
- Processing all phases of civil commitments
- Summoning jurors (in those chancery court matters in which a jury trial has been granted)
- Receiving and accounting for various filing fees required to accompany pleadings and appeals
- Attending each session of the chancery court
- Transmitting statistical data to the Mississippi Supreme Court, AOC
- Processing the court’s record(s) for appellate review
Custodian of Public Land Records:
- Creating and maintaining various indexes for documents filed in the public land records (i.e., sectional index, direct/reverse index, etc.)
- Creating and maintaining volumes that contain copies of all documents filed and indexed in the public land records (i.e., deed books, deed of trust books, or some combination thereof, etc.)
- Receiving and accounting for various filing fees required to accompany documents left for recording
- Maintaining all records of property sold for taxes by the county tax collector each year and accepting and processing payment in redemption of those taxes
County Auditor:
- Keeping accounts with each county office
- Keeping ledger accounts of all receipts and disbursements of county funds keeping financial records for all county officers responsible for receiving or collecting money for the county, including a detailed account for debits and credits against the tax collector
- Issuing receipt warrants and properly documenting funds paid to the county
- Collecting privilege taxes and issuing privilege licenses on an annual basis
County Treasurer:
- Receiving and disbursing money on behalf of the county
- Reconciling statements from the county depository