NATCHEZ — Discussions of overtime pay, salaries and employee duties for the Natchez Municipal Court filled most of a budget meeting for city officials Thursday.

City Clerk Donnie Holloway, Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, Ward 2 Alderman Ricky Gray and Ward 3 Alderwoman Sarah Smith sat down with Municipal Court Judge Jim Blough to go through the court’s proposed budget for the 2013-2014 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

Blough’s total proposed budget is approximately $317,000, of which approximately $307,000 is dedicated to salaries, retirement and benefits.

The proposed budget is an approximately $58,000 increase from the current year’s budget.

Blough, whose salary is approximately $54,000, has seven employees at the court.

The budget also includes Municipal Court Judge Pro Tem Tony Heidelberg’s salary of $29,900 and city prosecutor Lisa Jordan Dale’s salary of $36,800.

Heidelberg was hired in during the current fiscal year.

The court clerk’s current salary is $28,400, and the two deputy clerks’ salaries are $17,900. Blough is proposing to hire a third clerk at the same salary.

Gray said he was concerned that the deputy clerks were being paid such a low salary.

Gray said, however, the city could not offer the deputy clerks a raise now when it has said no raises will be given until the city’s receives its audit and revises its budget after the fiscal year begins.

Blough said the deputy court clerk position has high turnover because the clerks leave to take higher-paying jobs at other courts, such as the county courts.

Smith and Gray questioned overtime pay for the court clerk. Smith said she was not aware that a salaried employee could collect overtime pay.

Blough said the court clerk is the only person trained to prepare monthly reports.

“She cannot balance $60,000 to $90,000 in receipts during regular business hours,” Blough said. “She comes in on a Saturday or Sunday morning and does those reports.”

The officials concluded that hiring a third deputy clerk to alleviate some of the court clerk’s duties may solve the overtime pay issue.

The court may also receive $6,000 in technology upgrades, including three new computers as suggested by IT Director Ed Bowser, Blough said. The expenses for those computers will come out of the IT budget.

City leaders also met with Tourism Director Connie Taunton to discuss the proposed budget for the Natchez Visitor Reception Center, which is approximately $709,000.

Approximately $258,000 of the budget is for salaries and $120,000 for contract services, which includes part-time employees, grass-cutting and other services. Other major expenses include utilities and security services.

The city is expected to meet again next week to discuss budgets for the mayor’s and city clerk’s offices.