The duties and powers of a county port authority or county development commission shall be the same, as to matters within their jurisdiction, as those set forth and prescribed by law, and as the same may be amended from time to time, relating to the duties and powers of a municipal port commission. The board of supervisors, on recommendation of the county port authority or county development commission, may appoint a county port director. The salary of the county port director shall be subject to the approval of the board of supervisors of such county, and the county port director so appointed may be the port director employed by the port commission of the municipality, in which case the board of supervisors of such county and the governing authorities of the municipality may jointly agree on pro rata payments toward the salary and expenses of such port director. The members of such county port authority or county development commission and the county port di rector shall be public officers within the meaning and the intent of Section 97-11-19, Mississippi Code of 1972. The clerk of the board of supervisors of any county which has appointed a county port authority or county development commission is authorized to employ such additional clerical assistance as may be necessary or required in view of the additional duties imposed upon the board by this chapter, but no employee shall receive a salary of more than Thirty-six Hundred Dollars ($3600.00) per annum.

In addition to the general powers and duties of a county port commission or county development commission, a county port commission or development commission may enter into joint ventures or community alliances with private entities or other county port commissions or county development commissions to construct and operate any facilities under the jurisdiction of such commissions.