Natchez — The City of Natchez is taking steps to advance the city’s technology with new accounting software and the hire of an information technology director.

The city clerk’s office is currently working to implement new accounting software that Diane Holland, assistant city clerk, said will advance the city’s technology dramatically.

Holland said the clerk’s office’s staff trained approximately 35 hours with the new Windows-based accounting software last week and will spend two more weeks training.

She said the new software is more user-friendly than the old software and will reduce manual labor, time and save the city money by giving the Natchez Board of Aldermen a better idea of how monies are being handled.

The system will run simultaneously with the old system until January, Holland said, so all the data and numbers can be cross-checked to prevent errors.

Once the system goes live in January, Holland said she would like to see all departments using the software within a year. She said all departments’ budgets will be managed through the same system and department heads will have access to their budgets on a day-to-day basis.

Holland said there are 240 city employees and 80 different bank accounts that will have to be put in the system.

Natchez Mayor Jake Middleton said he hopes soon residents will be able to pay utilities, taxes and fees for things such as business licenses online as well.

The goal, Holland said, is to have each department in the city on the same accounting software. She said that will allow each department head to keep track of their budget on a day-to-day basis.

Holland also said the clerk’s office will be able to keep the aldermen better informed of the budget and provide more up-to-date reports.

The aldermen currently only receive monthly budget reports. Holland said the city will be able to print out 200 different kinds of reports, aldermen could have current reports at each of their meetings or at their request.

The city is also currently looking to hire an information technology director to create an IT department within the city.

Middleton and Adams County Board of Supervisors President Darryl Grennell said they are both interested in the city and county sharing an IT director.

Middleton said he thinks both the city’s and county’s IT needs can be initially handled by one person.

“As both the city and county grow, then we can look at adding additional staff if we need to,” he said.

Grennell said the idea of sharing an IT director should certainly be explored if it means saving money.

“It’s definitely food for thought if it can create a savings for the county and city,” he said.

David Gammill and other members of the Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Technology drafted the job description for the director.

Gammill said the director will need to be capable of building an IT department from the ground up.

“There’s really nothing in place right now, so that’s going to be very important,” he said.

Gammill also said the director will need to be able to maintain the department by looking at the bigger picture of advancing the city’s technology, as well as keeping up the day-to-day operations.

The advisory committee has been counseling the city on technology for two years, and Gammill said

“Ultimately it comes down to every city that is moving forward successfully is embracing technology in some kind of way,” he said.

Ward 6 Alderman Dan Dillard said new technology for the city has been a long time coming. He said it is important to have an IT director that can communicate to the board in easily understandable terms as to what is happening with the city’s technology.

Several issues exist with the old accounting system, Dillard said, and moving the city’s technology is necessary to keep up in this day and age.

“That’s how the city is going to present itself not only to the world through the Internet but also through the Intranet from one department to another.”