NATCHEZ — Ferriday residents squeezed themselves into a boardroom and bottleneck hallway at Ferriday Town Hall Tuesday, and audience members cheered at several points as members of the public yelled at the Ferriday Board of Aldermen and the mayor.

The meeting was orderly at first, with Alderwoman Gloria Lloyd questioning Mayor Glen McGlothin about the amount of Walmart funds that were being used to repair the water plant.

McGlothin gave board members a handout that showed $1.52 million was being spent from Walmart and other funds, including grant funds and loans, to repair the existing water plant.

McGlothin said the current water plant might only last two years, and he regretted the funds couldn’t go toward a new plant.

“I don’t like it, but guess what, you cannot have a water plant (without) having it up to standards,” McGlothin said.

Ferriday resident Justin Conner entered after the meeting began with a group of men.

“We as the citizens, room of citizens here, (have) felt like outcasts since 1988, you’ve been working on water plant and (it’s) a pot of gold for somebody,” Conner said.

“We the citizens ask y’all to get us attorney (or) FBI to come in because over 23 years and over $20 million has been spent and still ain’t got no water,” Conner yelled, which garnered cheers and applause from the audience.

The Rev. Raymond Brown from New Orleans, appeared at the meeting with Conner.

Brown said he was with the National Action Nation, representing Al Sharpton.

“I spoke to Rev. Sharpton today,” Brown said. “I’m down here to (say) people on the outside community know what’s happening in Ferriday.

“If you don’t correct the problem, we’re going to come and take it over.”

Board attorney Anna Ferguson exited the boardroom as comments were shouted from the public.

Two television crews left before the meeting ended when the board moved on from the water issue, and Conner and Brown retreated from the front of the boardroom.

Lloyd made a motion to ask the attorney general come to Ferriday to investigate the water situation in Ferriday spanning the past 23 years. The board voted unanimously in favor of the motion.

Following the meeting, Conner led a group of approximately 40 residents who attended the meeting in the song, “We Shall Overcome,” in the parking lot before saying prayers.