NATCHEZ — With the budget on the brain, the Adams County Board of Supervisors examined the cost of dirty work at Monday’s regular board meeting.

District 1 Supervisor Mike Lazarus pointed out the county undercharges households $3.34 each month for garbage pick up, forcing the county to pay the difference of $212,424 a year from its budget.

The county’s garbage service picks up trash at 5,300 households outside the city limits for $13, Lazarus said. But the county pays $16.34 a month per household, he said.

District 2 Supervisor Henry Watts said the county has always subsidized garbage pickup.

“We need to find a solution (because $212,000 is almost a whole mill),” Lazarus countered.

Watts said shutting off water for those in the county — like the city does with Natchez Water Works — to force those who aren’t paying their garbage bill to cough their payment up could help fund trash pickup.

The current penalty for defaulting on a garbage bill for county residents outside the city limits is the withholding of a car tag. Watts said enacting a harsher penalty involving a more necessary utility, like water, would bring in more money.

“We tie our (garbage bill) to a tag,” Watts said. “If you’re a criminal you can put a tag in somebody else’s name.”

Watts said the county could give Adams County Water Association authority to cut off water access to households that fail to pay a garbage pickup bill.

Emergency Management Director Stan Owens said, however, that in addition to some county residents who receive water from a well, a total of five water associations exist outside the city limits in Adams County.

District 5 Supervisor S.E. “Spanky” Felter said the county can also save money on garbage pickup by consolidating its contract with the city when the city’s contract expires later this year.

“We need to hold up on accepting bids on garbage disposal,” Felter said. “We do need to look into this.”

Felter said the county might also save money by purchasing bigger Dumpsters and picking them up twice a week compared to the current daily schedule.

Board President Darryl Grennell was not in attendance at Monday’s meeting.

In other news from Monday’s meeting:

4 The board unanimously passed three measures at the request of its financial advisors and bond attorney to proceed with $3.1 million in financing improvements at the Natchez-Adams County Port as part of a deal with Elevance Renewable Sciences.

The $3.1 million general obligation bond represents a portion of the $7.1 million total cost of improvements, for which a zero-percent interest loan and a grant from MDA will help fund.

One of the measures the board passed gave financial advisors authority to negotiate an interest rate with local banks not to exceed 6.25 percent, said Mark Houston of Government Consultants.

Houston said he expected an interest rate to be lower than 6.25 percent, estimating a rate of 4 percent or 4.5 percent. The maximum interest rate was set to give consultants room to negotiate, he said.

“Predicting interest rates (in the current economic climate) is chancy, but obviously interest rates are very low,” Houston said.

The board’s bond attorney, Sam Keyes Jr., said many local banks are interested in financing the Elevance-related improvements for the county.

“We don’t have a final deal cut, but all (local banks) are interested in nailing down a good deal for the county,” Keyes said.

4 Adams County Sheriff Chuck Mayfield said the manpower at the sheriff’s office has been recently bogged down by complaints of loose livestock.

Mayfield said the county might want to consider hiring a full-time wrangler to address the ongoing issues.

“Probably 90 percent of the problem is (livestock owners) not maintaining fences,” Mayfield said.

Mayfield also asked the board for permission to use a former bank vault in the sanitation building as an evidence room. The board unanimously granted permission.

4 Owens asked the board to amend its ordinance about displaying household addresses to ensure emergency officials can clearly identify a house’s address.

The amendment, which was a suggestion by the Emergency Communication Board, gives utility companies the authority to refuse to hook up utilities until house numbers are properly posted. Properly posted house numbers must be at least three inches tall on a house, post or mailbox and visible from the street, Owens said.

“(The amendment) is just putting a little teeth in (the ordinance), so utility companies can have authority to deny service,” Owens said.

“It’s really a shame that we have to legislate common sense, but that’s what it boils down.”

4 In his personal report to the board, Watts told Lazarus he should work with local companies to help privately fund a recreation complex like Lazarus suggested in his campaign ad.

Watts said he thought The Natchez Democrat should pay $300,000 for the next five years to offset initial debt service and avoid raising taxes for a new complex.

“Let’s see if (The Democrat) can be the first major corporation to pledge $300,000,” Watts said.

4 The board met in executive session to discuss personnel matters and potential litigation. No action was taken, Lazarus said.