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Tara Leachman, right, holds up a sign on the sidewalk across the street from the Braden Administration Building Friday as vehicles pass by. The picketers were concerned about an appointed school board being able to raise taxes in Adams County. (Cain Madden | The Natchez Democrat)

Jessica Stubbs holds up a sign accusing the school board of being sneaky. Stubbs said the school board is raising taxes after voters already rejected at bond measure. (Cain Madden | The Natchez Democrat)

Robert Green gives a thumbs up to a driver who honks approval of the protest. Green organized the protest and plans for more.(Cain Madden | The Natchez Democrat)

(Cain Madden | The Natchez Democrat)

(Cain Madden | The Natchez Democrat)

NATCHEZ — As the Natchez-Adams School Board met Friday inside Braden School, several people gathered outside to protest the board’s decision to raise taxes.

Six people held up signs emblazoned with phrases including “Our School Board is SNEAKY,” “West is the wrong direction” and “Mr. West, I’m not racist.”

While the picketers walked along the sidewalks, they received honks and thumbs up of approval, but also were greeted with rude gestures and obscenities.

Robert Green, who organized the protest and obtained permission from the city, said his taxes increased last year due to the school system and Adams County voters could not afford to pay anymore.

“No matter who you are, we have no room to pay more taxes,” Green said. “Just because we do not want to pay more taxes, does not make us racist.”

Green’s statement, as well as the protesters’ biggest concerns stemmed from the school board’s decision to borrow $9 million, which would be repaid through a limited tax note. The $9 million would begin to fund renovations in the school district, though the district is hoping to also build a new high school.

Protesters also said they were upset by the comments made last week by school board member Phillip West who made a statement during a meeting in which he suggested racial overtones were the reason residents opposed the $9 million loan.

Green said West’s claims of racism toward those against the loan is “the most disgusting statement” that he has ever heard.

Green said he does not want anybody’s, including West’s, property taxes to go up.

“I don’t want the black, white, purple, green, yellow, LGBT, straight … nobody can afford to pay any more taxes,” Green said.

Kathy White was walking along the sidewalk with other protesters while holding up a sign suggesting the school board was disgraceful. White said she has volunteered in the district and wants to see it succeed, but she could not afford to pay more taxes.

“Whatever happened to public notices and everyone working together?” White said. “I do not like the sneaky politics in this town.”

White said she wanted to know where Mayor Darryl Grennell was on this topic.

“I voted for him, and I had faith in him,” White said. “My faith might be gone.”

In May, the majority of the community voted against the school district’s $35 million bond request to build a new high school and improve other buildings. After the defeat at the polls the district decided to move forward with the project anyway, but by finding another source for funding, which includes the $9 million loan.

Standing near the entrance to the back parking lot at Braden, Felice Fortenbery said she was angry about the election results being ignored.

“We had to pay thousands and thousands of extra dollars to have an election to say no to more taxes,” Fortenbery said. “It is like our vote does not count.”

Fortenbery, who said she worked for the public school system, said she was also concerned about the district’s lack of a public plan.

“This money may not even go into schools,” she said. “The money might go into top dog salaries.”

Tara Leachman and Jessica Stubbs stood together across the street from Braden to get the attention of drivers headed downtown. Leachman said for her, the protest was about the school board not being elected. School board members are currently appointed, with the City of Natchez appointing three members and Adams County appointing two.

“That means I do not have a voice,” Leachman said. “I have no problem with the school system, but they have to do this the right way.”

All of the protesters said they had been the recipients of obscene hand gestures, had been called names and been abused verbally. They said their race, which is white, had been commented on multiple times.

“Many people were yelling these ugly things with kids in the car,” Fortenbery said. “We are being peaceful and nice.”

While the verbal abuse stood out, the protesters also said they had received approval.

“Most of the people were honking their horns and giving us a thumbs up,” Green said. “It was only a small percent who were being nasty, so it was not too bad.”

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