NATCHEZ — Friday’s county budget meeting ended abruptly after District 2 Supervisor Henry Watts stood up shouted at his colleagues, accusing them of “grandstanding,” “playing games” and behaving like cowards.

Watts shouted the accusations and pointed at District 1 Supervisor Mike Lazarus and Board President Darryl Grennell following a vote on Lazarus’ motion to fund an increase of $5,000 to the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society.

District 3 Supervisor Thomas “Boo” Campbell was not present during the discussion of the humane society. All other supervisors, including Watts, voted in favor of Lazarus’ motion.

Watts then told Lazarus and Grennell they were both a “sorry excuse” for supervisors.

Lazarus asked Watts early in Watts’ tirade why Watts thought they were cowards. Watts continued to walk around the room and repeat his accusations several times, frequently using curse words.

A wide-eyed Grennell appeared to be stunned by Watts’ behavior, and stood up and ended the meeting in a calm voice, saying the supervisors had had enough for the day, and walked into the hallway.

Watts addressed Grennell a minute later, shouting and asking him repeatedly why he met with Judge John Hudson Thursday.

Grennell stared at Watts, seemingly confused.

“Think, Darryl, think,” Watts shouted.

Grennell said he met with Hudson because Hudson asked to meet with him.

Watts later said on the phone he acted the way he did because Grennell attempted to ask for a vote to fund the extra money to the humane society while District 5 Supervisor S.E. “Spanky” Felter was in the bathroom. Watts said the vote was an example of Grennell and Lazarus’ attempt to play games.

During the meeting, after Watts asked Grennell if he was going to wait on Felter, Grennell did wait and Felter returned before the vote to raise appropriations to the humane society from $20,000 to $25,000.

When Lazarus initially made the motion, Felter said he would not vote in favor of funding the extra $5,000 if it meant raising taxes. Felter later voted in favor of the motion.

County Administrator Joe Murray said the budget was mostly finished and an increase of $5,000 would not raise taxes.

“I’ve cut thousands out of departments’ budgets,” Murray said, emphasizing the words “thousands.”

Before Lazarus’ motion to fund $5,000 more for the humane society passed unanimously, Watts made a motion concerning the humane society that did not receive enough votes to pass.

Watts’ motion was to transfer the $1,000 that was previously given to the Natchez Downtown Development Association to the humane society. The downtown association’s total appropriation was $1,000.

“I think for the downtown development association that some on board don’t know if it exists, that $1,000 ought to go to humane society,” Watts said.

Grennell said the association still existed, although it had no executive director, and it was surviving through the work of volunteers.

“It’s a great thing that they’re running (the association) with volunteers, trying to keep downtown alive,” Grennell said.

When the vote on Watts’ motion was called for, it failed from lack of majority since Watts and Felter voted for the motion and Lazarus and Grennell voted against it.

The board also passed a vote to transfer $2,500 in appropriations from the Natchez Literary and Cinema Festival to the Red Cross.

Felter questioned the need to fund the organizations at their current levels.

“Do these organizations feed people?” Felter said.

“They are all part of the arts which is a part of the community as a whole,” Grennell answered.

Felter suggested the motion because he thought the literary festival, Natchez Little Theatre and Natchez Opera Festival should receive the same level of funding — $2,500.

Grennell told the other supervisors the literary festival uses its $5,000 appropriation to match a grant.

Lazarus abstained from the vote, he said, because he did not know how cutting the $2,500 would affect the festival’s grant eligibility.

Watts and Felter voted for the motion, Grennell voted against the motion. The motion was able to pass 2-1 since Campbell was not present.

Wirt Peterson, executive director of Southwest Mississippi Planning and Development District and Sabrena Bartley, executive director of the Natchez Senior Citizens Multipurpose Center spoke to the board for a short time about funding services for the elderly.

Board members questioned Thursday if duplication in services was occurring among the two agency’s programs to feed the elderly.

Watts said no one planned on cutting either Peterson or Bartley’s budgets. He said he just wanted an explanation for how they spend their budgets.

Bartley and Peterson said that since the senior center gets its list of people eligible for meals from SMPDD, it is not possible people are receiving meals from both agencies.

The senior center receives grant funding through SMPDD, Bartley said. Peterson said SMPDD contracts with the senior center to perform services it receives grant funds to provide.