NATCHEZ — Natchez Now leaders feel ahead of the game, and they plan to keep it that way.

Approximately 30 members of the economic development fundraising group met Tuesday to discuss their progress and update stakeholders.

Natchez Now funds $115,000 of the $380,000 Natchez Inc. budget; the group of business leaders also appoints three members to the Natchez Inc. board. The remaining funds come from the city and county governments.

Natchez Now has $149,310.64 in the bank and will pay out its first monthly installment to Natchez Inc. in October.

Natchez Now board member Glenn Green said the speed with which the investor group raised the needed money was a vote of confidence for Natchez Inc.

“It’s just a sign that the business people of Natchez and Adams County were ready to put their money where their mouths were,” Green said.

And more donations are being collected, Green said.

Though the account is already at surplus levels, the group wants extra money on hand to be able to step up to the plate if Natchez Inc. has a potential business or industry committed and needs more funding to make the deal a reality. Additional dollars may also be used for incentive packages for the full-time Natchez Inc. director.

The other main focus for Natchez Now and Natchez Inc. will be developing existing business, Green said.

Having money in hand allows the fundraising group to apply pressure when needed.

“We can look at the city and county and say, ‘Here’s ours; where’s yours,’” Green said.

Legislation passed earlier this year, allows Adams County and the City of Natchez to contribute to the non-profit Natchez Inc. Currently the county has committed to providing $165,000 annually and the City of Natchez has agreed to provide $100,000 annually.

The group also heard a report from the Natchez Inc. board chairman, Sue Stedman.

Priority No. 1 for the Natchez Inc. board is hiring a full-time director, she said.

“We’ve had an amazing selection of director candidates,” Stedman said. “We’ve interviewed several candidates already and we hope to narrow it to the top two or three soon.”

The board is aiming to have a top candidate picked by Sept. 15.

Stedman said having a full-time person in place is key to the success of the organization going forward.

“This is a full-time job, and it takes running full steam ahead all the time,” she said.

The Natchez Inc. board — in the absence of a director — has been fielding a variety of calls from parties interested in locating a business or industry in Adams County.

Calls are frequent, and the board must work to determine the likelihood of each deal, she said.

The group is also focused on ensuring that Natchez Railway is here to stay.

“The railroad is still a concern; we have a plan in place,” Stedman said. “We’ve spent time on the phone with a railroad attorney in Washington, D.C., and we are not exactly sure what path we’ll be taking.”

The railroad’s owner has assured the group that he has no intentions of abandoning the line, but Natchez Inc. and other area leaders fear he could change his mind at any time.

The group was hopeful the announcement that the recently announced biofuel company KiOR — to be located near Bude — would use the rail line, but it appears the company will not, Stedman said.

“Natchez, Adams County and Franklin County may have to step up to the plate and buy that rail line,” she said.

The Natchez Now stakeholders voted Tuesday to confirm a nominated slate of board members. The board includes: Scott Kimbrell for a three-year term; Pat Biglane for a three-year term; Jack Stephens for a two-year term; Benny Jeansonne for a two-year term; Kevin Cooper for a one-year term; Margaret Perkins for a one-year term and Green for a one-year term.