NATCHEZ — The Natchez Board of Aldermen in a split vote decided Friday not to vote down a nonprofit’s proposal to redevelop the city’s former General Hospital located on Oak Street.

Ward 3 Alderwoman Sarah Smith moved that the board vote down the proposal at Friday’s meeting, citing the proposal’s failure to satisfy criteria set forth by the city.

The motion was voted down 3-2, with Ward 6 Alderman Dan Dillard joining Smith in seeking to scuttle the proposal. Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis was not present.

The contentious debate over the property began in April 2017, when the city considered a proposal from Magnolia Medical Foundation over the property even though concerns arose about the merit of the proposal.

The board of aldermen elected to negotiate with Magnolia Medical in September.

Officials have said the group’s proposal to convert the building into a senior-living facility did not — as the city’s request for proposals stipulated — include detailed financial statements for the company.

At Friday’s meeting, Smith asked City Attorney Bob Latham for his input at Friday’s meeting. Latham said the decision rested with the board.

“I can’t make them submit anything that they’re not willing to submit,” Latham said. “The board has to consider what they did submit. If the board’s not satisfied, then they can turn the proposal down. If the board wants to request more information, they can do that.”

Ward 2 Alderman Billie Joe Frazier expressed frustration that the board was discussing matters it had already discussed in the past rather than moving forward.

“We just keep on kicking the can further down the road, and we need to address that.”

Ward 4 Alderwoman Felicia Irving moved Latham reach out to Magnolia Medical and request the necessary information, which the board approved unanimously.

Dillard then voiced his opposition to the proposal, as he had in past meetings.

“I do not believe the offer is in compliance with the advertisement on what was set forth by the city to sell the property,” Dillard said. “I do not believe that it is forthcoming … in that it states that it would put the properties back on the tax rolls, and I do not see how a 501(c)3 can be both a nonprofit and then show a profit on the tax rolls.”

Toward the conclusion of the meeting, Smith made her motion, citing her concerns about the group’s finances.

“I don’t see how we can accept a proposal when we didn’t get the information that was required in the proposal,” Smith said. “If you do that, we should be turning it down. It’s not giving us what was required.”

Irving reminded the board that they had already approved her motion to request the financials from Magnolia Medical.

After Frazier voiced his displeasure again with the motion, calling it “totally wrong,” the board came back with a 3-2 vote against turning down the proposal.

Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell said he would set a date for the board to meet with Magnolia Medical Foundation’s Erica Thompson to negotiate the terms of their agreement regarding the building.