NATCHEZ — Three candidates are contending for the votes of Ward 3 residents in the upcoming election for a seat on the Natchez Board of Aldermen.

The candidates for Ward 3 alderman are Gwen Ball, a Democrat, incumbent Bob Pollard, a Republican, and Sarah Carter Smith, a Democrat.

Gwen Ball

Ball said as an observer and active participant in local city government, she is concerned about the lack of transparency in city government. She has advocated for more transparency and said she ran four years ago on a similar platform.

“Four years ago I talked about transparency in city government, and that was a time when no one else was carrying that banner,” she said. “Now I’m giving Ward 3 a chance to shine the light on city government.”

Ball said she would like to see the city’s residents actively involved and included in the city’s business. She said she believes a comprehensive, long-term vision and plan for the city needs to be outlined with input from the city and residents.

“We have plans that are sitting on a shelf collecting dust,” she said. “I would like to see us get them out and see if there is something we can use in there that we’ve already paid for.”

A long-term plan, Ball said, will allow the city to be “proactive rather than reactive.”

“We need to have a vision and a plan so that we know what we’re doing; we can make sure development is an appropriate fit for the city according to the vision we create,” she said.

Ball said she believed the biggest issue facing the city is job creation. After past industries disappeared from Natchez, Ball said she believes tourism has held the city together.

“I think we need to be innovative and creative and capitalize and expand on what has been working for us,” she said.

Ball said she has plans for involving residents in city government. She said she would also like to see all of the aldermen educated on what is happening in all of the wards not just their own.

Ball said she believes there is a lack of concern among current officials about the needs of the residents.

“If I’m elected and someone calls me with a problem, they will know they I care and know that I am going to do whatever I can do to help them,” she said.