Editing Ray Mabus (section)

==== County reform ====
At the beginning of his term, Mabus enjoyed the cooperation of legislators{{sfn|Pugh|2020|p=34}} and an $85 million budget surplus.{{sfn|Mullaney|1994|p=209}} In 1988 he proposed a bill to the legislature which would require counties to switch from the beat system to the unit system and hire a professional county administrator to handle financial matters and purchasing.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|p=110}} The [[Mississippi State Senate|State Senate]] passed a bill which mandated a transition by all counties to switch to a loose form of the unit system, while the [[Mississippi House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] endorsed legislation which would allow counties to switch to a full unit system following a local referendum. A [[conference committee]] was unable to reconcile the two different proposals before they expired on the legislative calendar. The legislature successfully passed a bill raising supervisor's salaries, which Mabus vetoed on April 30.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|p=112}} In early June he declared that he would call the legislature into [[special session]] to consider the unit system legislation, and the session was eventually scheduled for August 10.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|pp=112–113}} Addressing the legislature in [[joint session]], Mabus denounced the beat system as an antiquated form of government which "made stealing too easy and too tempting" and created inefficiency.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|pp=113–114}} On August 16, the legislature passed the County Government Reorganization Act, which stipulated that counties were to decide on what form of government to use in a November referendum, and further stipulated requirements for implementation of the unit system. Mabus signed the bill into law.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|p=114}} County supervisors began drawing up cost estimates of implementing the unit system, with estimates from 47 different counties varying from $500 to $1.48 million. Mabus and other observers denounced the estimates as exaggerated and criticized them for not incorporating cost-savings projections post-transition.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|pp=115–116}} In November, 46 of the 82 counties voted to adopt the unit system, with 61 percent of voters backing the switch.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|p=117}} Mabus established the Governor's County Unit Task Force in January 1991 to examine the progress of the unit transition and recommend improvements.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|p=119}} None of its findings were used due to the end of Mabus' term.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|p=121}}