NATCHEZ — The Natchez-Adams Recreation Commission presented its plans for recreation and answered the bigger question, how to fund it, at Thursday’s meeting of three local boards.

Those three boards, the Adams County Board of Supervisors, Natchez Board of Aldermen and Natchez-Adams School District, who control three tax-funded budgets, would each contribute to the cost of maintaining a complex, commissioner Tate Hobdy said.

But the county alone would fund the complex’s construction, he said.

Hobdy presented the commission’s financing recommendation, which he pointed out was suggestions, and the duty of the commission to make as per the language in the inter-local agreement.

The commission also recommended the city and county hand over its entire recreation budget to the commission for maintenance of the new complex and existing complexes.

In addition, the school board would donate property and provide $80,000 a year for maintenance of the swimming pool.

“Are you aware of the disparity in those two budgets,” Ward 6 Alderman Dan Dillard said.

The Natchez aldermen’s annual recreation annual budget in recent years is more than $1 million.

The county supervisors’ annual budget in recent years has been $52,000.

Hobdy said he was aware, noting the recommendation that the county pay for the facility’s construction.

“Who would maintain our rural parks,” Board of Supervisors President Darryl Grennell asked.

Hobdy said the recreation commission would fund maintenance of all of the current recreational facilities in addition to the new facilities.

“We would be responsible for that, and y’all can run the city and county,” Hobdy said.

On behalf of the commission, Hobdy recommended three options for how the supervisors could fund the approximately $5.4 million cost of construction with bonds.

One option would be to increase ad valorem taxes by 2 mills.

“One mill is $12 annually on a $100,000 house,” Hobdy added.

A second option, sales tax, Hobdy advised against.

“(Sales tax) is an unstable source of income,” Hobdy said.

He said sales tax can not reliably pay the debt service.

Sales tax approval from the state legislature could also delay or completely stall recreation.

“It could set back (recreation) indefinitely.”

The third option would be to use the money now being paid on large debts service for which the county will soon have completed payment.

“The county is retiring an amount of debt, that would allow the county to pay (for construction) at the end (of those payments),” Hobdy said.

Hobdy said the school board’s participation in donating its land near the bean field for the project brings up legal issues that can be resolved as details of the project become sharper.

School Board President Harold Barnett commented on the school board’s proposed annual commitment.

“I don’t like that idea,” Barnett said.

Barnett said he disagreed with setting aside $80,000 of taxpayer dollars that are supposed to be used for education.

Barnett said the Natchez-Adams School District does not have a swim team and he was concerned the district should not pay for something it was not using.

Ward 4 Alderman Ernest “Tony” Fields, who is also vice principal of Frazier Primary School, said swimming could possibly count for school physical education credits.

“Could you charge fees?”  school board member Dr. Benny Wright asked.

Hobdy said yes, the district could charge fees to possibly offset the annual maintenance cost, but it would only offset the cost $25,000 to $35,000 a year.

“As citizens we are going to have to pay for that facility one way or the other; 79 percent said yes,” Wright said.

In a non-binding referendum in 2009, 78.54 percent of voters were in favor of  supporting an inter-local agreement to build a recreation complex not to exceed $5.4 million.

Whit Alexander from Lose & Associates, who was hired as the project’s landscape architect, spoke about the plans for the complex.

The phase one plans, which would be funded by the $5.4 million bond issue, are built to accommodate expansion for a master plan but will be fully functional on their own.

Phase one includes a new adult softball field, four youth baseball fields, a swimming pool, a large concession building, a shade pavilion, trail network, batting cage complex and a lake near the bean field. Existing softball fields will also receive renovations in the plans. Phase one also includes two new tennis courts, new restrooms, parking and a renovated pro shop at Duncan Park.

The master plan, which could be completed with a series of future phases with funds beyond the original $5.4 million, includes a teen area with a skate park, one full basketball court, two half basketball courts, a vending building, a trail network, renovations of three softball fields and new parking at the bean field, as well as more updates at Duncan Park.

Resident John Seyfarth attended the public meeting at the convention center along with approximately 10 other members of the public.

Seyfarth said the referendum voted on by the public to fund recreation was non-binding, and he believes the boards should not spend tax dollars of elderly people in Natchez who were on a fixed income and could not afford it.

“Natchez is supposed to be a retirement city,” Seyfarth said.

The commission’s attorney Walter Brown said the inter-local agreement between the three boards for recreation was first signed in the 1990s, then revised or amended in 2003, 2004 and 2009.

The agreement calls for the three boards to meet again in 10 days or as soon as possible to make decisions on the commission’s recommendation and to move forward with a plan, Brown said.

“This isn’t the first time (Natchez-Adams County) has talked about recreation in Natchez, but this is an opportunity to take the first step in the right direction,” Hobdy said in closing.