▁into ▁" be ats ," ▁with ▁each ▁super visor ▁responsible ▁for ▁road ▁and ▁bridge ▁maintenance ▁in ▁his ▁beat . ▁This ▁arrangement ▁was ▁useful ▁when ▁areas ▁were ▁light ly ▁settled ▁and ▁communication ▁was ▁difficult , ▁but ▁it ▁pers isted ▁in ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁The ▁count ies ▁serve ▁both ▁legisl ative ▁and ▁executive ▁functions ; ▁the ▁decent ral ization ▁into ▁be ats ▁with ▁few ▁controls ▁on ▁individual ▁super vis ors ▁led ▁to ▁problems ▁with ▁waste ful ▁purch asing , ▁in efficient ▁government ▁and , ▁in ▁some ▁cases , ▁cor ruption . ▁Unit ary ▁and ▁central ized ▁county ▁government ▁is ▁considered ▁more ▁efficient ▁for ▁conduct ing ▁county ▁business . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁some ▁ 5 7 ▁of ▁Mississippi ' s ▁ 4 1 0 ▁county ▁super vis ors , ▁from ▁ 2 6 ▁of ▁the ▁state ' s ▁ 8 2 ▁count ies , ▁were ▁charged ▁by ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁with ▁cor ruption . ▁The ▁F BI ▁had ▁carried ▁out ▁a ▁length y ▁investigation ▁to ▁gain ▁evidence ▁in ▁these ▁cases . ▁Reform ▁led ▁to ▁an ▁over ha ul ▁of ▁the ▁count ies ' ▁purch asing ▁systems . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁▁ ▁The ▁Constitution ▁of ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁Mississippi ▁ ▁Mississippi , ▁American ▁Law ▁S ources ▁On - line ▁ ▁Mississippi ▁Code ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁ ▁Historic ▁C odes ▁of ▁Mississippi , ▁State ▁Law ▁Library ▁of ▁Mississippi ▁ ▁Category : G overn ment ▁of ▁Mississippi <0x0A> </s>