County reduces EDA funding

By Adam Koob (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Wednesday, September 9, 2009

NATCHEZ — Taking corrective action for seven years of over funding the Natchez-Adams Economic Development Authority, supervisors reduced the group’s budget Tuesday by $70,000.

Adams County Supervisor Darryl Grennell said since 2002 the EDA has been receiving $275,000 a year, jointly funded by the city and county.

The legislation that governs the EDA mandates that the county contribute 60 percent of the EDA’s funding while the City of Natchez contributes the remaining 40 percent.

For the past seven years the county has funded the EDA with a $175,000 allocation while the city has matched those funds $100,000.

Grennell said based on the $275,000 request from the EDA, the county should actually be giving the group $165,000, not $175,000 as they have been for the past seven years.

Multiplying seven years of over payments times $10,000 per year, the supervisors deducted $70,000 from the EDA’s $165,000 leaving the group with $95,000 for the upcoming fiscal year.

Last week the board calculated their EDA contribution to be $150,000.

That number was based on the city’s contribution, not the EDA’s overall request.

The correct calculation was should be based on the EDA’s request, Grennell said.

EDA Chairman Woody Allen said the EDA will simply have to do its best with whatever funding the supervisors allocate.

“We just have to live with it,” Allen said. “That’s all we can do.”

But the decrease in funding makes it impossible to find a new executive director for the EDA, Allen said.

Since January, when the EDA’s director left to pursue other ventures, no new director has been hired to fill the slot since the future for the EDA’s funding has always been in question.

Allen said with a decrease in funding, it will almost impossible to fund a salary for a new director.

Grennell’s motion to adjust the EDA’s funding passed with a unanimous vote.

In other news, the board took no action on a motion offered by Supervisor Mike Lazarus that called for the board to adopt an interlocal agreement aimed at getting a referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot concerning the developing a recreation complex run by the county, city and Natchez-Adams School Board.

In recent weeks, at the behest of the supervisors, wording in the agreement was changed to help specify how the project would be funded.

While the city and school board readopted the amended resolution, the county has yet to take any action.

Supervisors’ President Henry Watts said he would like to take more time to review the amended document before voting.

“I think everyone is for it,” Watts said. “But I thought the board would have had more time to discuss it.”

But the board could vote on the matter as early as today.

At this evening’s public hearing to discuss ad valorem taxes the issue is expected to be raised again.

Tonight’s meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. in the supervisors’ boardroom.

The board also met in executive session, citing personnel issues and potential litigation, for approximately 30 minutes.