by DAVID HAMILTON

NATCHEZ — City officials are working to bring all City of Natchez departments into the 21st century.

Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell said the city’s network administration department — formerly known as the information technology department — aims to enable credit and debit card use within certain departments that currently only carry out transactions with cash.

These departments include the Natchez Municipal Court, the Natchez Senior Citizen Multipurpose Center and the Natchez Transit System.

Grennell called the transition “long overdue” for the city. Grennell said his goal is to permit credit and debit card transactions for every city department that brings in revenue.

“It’s a way of allowing city revenue to come in,” Grennell said. “It allows the city to collect.”

Currently, Grennell said, those departments risk not collecting revenue from citizens who do not routinely carry cash. Allowing payment via credit card, Grennell said, would mitigate these concerns.

“After they (pay with a credit card), it’s between them and the credit card company — but the city gets paid,” Grennell said.

Grennell envisions many ways enabling credit card use would benefit both citizens and the city. For example, Grennell said credit cards would allow people to more easily pay fines.

Grennell also said he wants people to eventually have the capability of swiping their cards on city buses.

Network Administration Director Bridget Chappell said she is currently researching the matter and would have more information in the near future.