NATCHEZ — The Ferriday Board of Aldermen voted Tuesday night to gamble on a new video bingo vendor in hopes that a different vendor gets the ball rolling faster.

Mayor Glen McGlothin broke a tied vote in favor of booting the former vendor — Big Bucks Gaming — and amending the bingo ordinance to include WhiteCo. Gaming instead. Following McGlothin’s vote, representatives from Big Bucks walked out of the meeting after laying their cards out on the table.

The issue came to the board after aldermen complained six months had passed since they approved a vendor, and money has yet to be made.

Rusty Durham of Big Bucks Gaming explained to the board before the vote why the company has had delays in starting operations.

Durham said he has tried to get charities to sign on before securing a location, a process which takes a long time.

In addition, Durham said he is having difficulty leasing property that fits the restrictions of the ordinance, in some cases, because property owners refuse to rent to bingo vendors.

Ned White of WhiteCo Gaming LCC argued at the meeting for the chance to replace Big Bucks.

White said he had a location rented, leased and notarized in a week, and the other group has had almost six months to get to that point.

“Basically, I asked to come (to the board because) I’m ready to move forward,” White said.

State law only permits the cities with bingo to use a single distributor and single commercial tenant.

Alderwoman Gail Pryor told White she had the impression he has tried to dictate to the board what to do ever since he has been a candidate as a bingo vendor.

After much discussion and some arguing about video bingo issues among both vendors and the board, the Rev. Simeon Green addressed the board about bingo.

“If it’s not of God, it won’t work,” Green said, referring to video bingo in Ferriday.

“If this (issue) was about education or improving something for our young people, it would work. (Bingo) is not (the will) of God.”

Alderwoman Gloria Lloyd said the board was spending too much time discussing bingo.

“I’ll make a decision to disband bingo. We have other issues, (such as) finance,” Lloyd said.

Lloyd said she wanted for bingo to either begin or go away.

“We always hear the saying ‘People do Ferriday wrong,’ and (the aldermen) are doing Ferriday wrong,” Lloyd said.

Alderwoman Somer Lance said she originally voted against bingo in Ferriday, but she now wants to see it work since it has already passed.

Big Bucks, for several reasons, has been stalled in getting online, Lance said. For that reason, Lance made a motion to approve an amendment to name WhiteCo. as Ferriday’s commercial bingo lessee and Hohn, LLC as the machine distributor. In her motion, she said the companies must make progress in a reasonable amount of time.

Lance did not specify how much time WhiteCo and Hohn would have to start operations, but White said he could have bingo ready to operate in 90 days.

Lloyd seconded Lance’s motion, and Pryor and alderman Elijah “Stepper” Banks voted against it.

Alderman Johnnie Brown abstained from the vote because he sits on the boards of charities to which the gaming groups have applied to donate, Brown said.

McGlothin broke the tie in favor of naming WhiteCo the town’s bingo company, and Lance’s motion passed.

In other news from Tuesday’s meeting:

4 McGlothin said the 60-year-old town swimming pool has maintenance issues that might be beyond repair.

He said several officials have looked at the pool, and large cracks in the bottom indicate two water lines are broken underneath the pool.

He said the only way to repair it would be to dig up the pool. McGlothin suggested the town use grant dollars to install a spray grounds in lieu of a public pool.

Spray grounds would be cheaper to insure and maintain, he said.

McGlothin said the board would look into the possibilities and report back on the issue.

– McGlothin suggested the board adjust its grass-mowing ordinance to increase the cost of mowing based on the size of the lot.

The current ordinance charges citizens $75 when the town cuts neglected lawns, regardless of the lot size, which often does not cover the cost, the mayor said.

– The board appointed and Board Attorney Anna Ferguson swore in Gloria Dangerfield to the housing authority board.