The State Aid Engineer shall be appointed by the Governor for a term of two (2) years, subject to removal pursuant to Section 25-9-101 et seq. by the Governor at any time; provided, however, upon the expiration of the term of the State Aid Engineer serving on July 1, 1985, the State Aid Engineer shall be appointed by the Governor for a term of four (4) years. The State Aid Engineer shall be a registered engineer with at least eight (8) years’ experience as a county road or highway engineer and a thorough knowledge of rural road problems. He shall be paid a salary equal to that paid assistant chief engineers of the Mississippi Department of Transportation as established by the department’s personnel and merit system, plus travel expenses actually incurred by him in the discharge of his duties; and he shall, each month, make a detailed report to the Governor of such expenses. He shall be authorized to employ assistant state aid engineers, together with such other engineers, employees, and other assistants as may be necessary to carry out the terms of this chapter, all of whom may be removed at any time by the State Aid Engineer. The compensation of all such engineers, employees, and assistants shall be comparable to the salaries of like employees of the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

The State Aid Engineer, before entering upon the discharge of his duties, shall give bond in the sum of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) in some surety company authorized to do business in this state, which bond shall be conditioned for the faithful performance of his duties; and likewise each assistant state aid engineer shall give bond in the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) conditioned for the faithful performance of his duties. The State Aid Engineer is hereby authorized to require other assistants who are charged with responsible duties to likewise give bond in amounts not to exceed Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) each, conditioned for the faithful performance of their duties.

The salaries of the State Aid Engineer and his assistants and of all other employees of the Office of State Aid Road Construction, and all other expenses incurred by the Office of State Aid Road Construction in carrying out the provisions of this chapter, including the premiums of bonds of the State Aid Engineer, assistant state aid engineers, and other assistants, shall be paid from the State Aid Road Fund in the State Treasury prior to allocation to the several counties, by requisition drawn by the State Aid Engineer directed to the Department of Finance and Administration, which will issue its warrant to the State Treasurer in the sum and for the purpose stated in the requisition. The State Aid Engineer shall, each month, make a detailed report to the Governor of all expenditures so made.