NATCHEZ — Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell broke a 3-3 tie Tuesday to appoint Robert “Bob” Latham city attorney.

The vote came more than a month after the city’s July 1 appointment of city attorney Everett Sanders came into question. Later in July the board subsequently voted to rescind Sanders’ appointment.

Grennell and the aldermen met Tuesday in executive session for more than an hour prior to their regular meeting during which Latham and Sanders were nominated. The board voted 3-3 in executive session to appoint Latham, with Grennell breaking the tie with a vote for Latham.

In executive session, Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, Ward 2 Alderman Billie Joe Frazier and Ward 4 Alderwoman Felicia Irving voted for Sanders.

Ward 3 Alderwoman Sarah Smith, Ward 5 Alderman Benjamin Davis and Ward 6 Alderman Dan Dillard voted for Latham.

The vote to officially hire Latham during the regular meeting fell along those lines as well.

All but one of the aldermen’s votes mirrored the votes they took on July 1 when Sanders was appointed city attorney.

Davis abstained from the July 1 vote, saying at the time he felt he lacked enough information about Sanders or Latham to make a sound decision.

“In the beginning, I wanted their resumes, and I wanted to know more about the candidates,” Davis said after Tuesday’s meeting. “That’s how I made my decision (Tuesday). I want someone who can work well with the mayor and board. We’ve got our city attorney in place, now the city can move forward.”

Following the board’s split decision on July 26 to rescind Sanders’ appointment, Grennell and the aldermen interviewed Sanders, Latham, Christina Daughtery and Lisa Chandler for the position.

Grennell had publicly tapped Latham as his choice for city attorney prior to taking office July 1. Just after the July 1 vote Grennell said Sanders’ nomination, made by Arceneaux-Mathis, and appointment blindsided him.

Sanders’ appointment has been a point of contention for the mayor and board of aldermen since it was made and has been a cause of public outcry from members of the public on both sides of the issue.

Much of the criticism of Sanders’ appointment was directed at the fact that Sanders was city attorney when the city lost a judgment after failing to respond to an ongoing lawsuit by the court-appointed deadline.

In the lawsuit, Roundstone Development seeks $1.8 million in damages after the city denied its zoning application to allow construction of a housing development stretching from Old Washington Road to Oriole Terrace.

In 2011, Circuit Court Judge Forrest “Al” Johnson ruled in a default judgment against the city for breach of contract and misrepresentation. The judge has not ruled on any monetary penalty the city may owe.Though finalizing the city attorney appointment took a month and a handful of split votes, Grennell said after Tuesday’s meeting he is glad the matter is resolved and Latham has been appointed.

“It’s my belief that we’re going to move forward from this,” he said. “From the very beginning, I was under the impression the board was in concert with me until what happened at the first meeting, but I am glad Bob Latham is city attorney.”

Latham practices at Truly, Smith and Latham in Natchez. Among other experience, Latham has represented the Adams County Election Commission and the Adams County Board of Supervisors. Some of Latham’s time representing the county was during Grennell’s tenure as a county supervisor.