NATCHEZ &045; The Economic Development Authority’s chairman said Monday that before the agency decides whether to commit more resources to &uot;community development,&uot; he wants to know what city officials mean by the term.

In a joint meeting of city and county officials Wednesday, Mayor Phillip West and some aldermen said they want to devote to community development the $100,000 the city pays the EDA.

That could include &uot;developing infrastructure, housing and (revitalizing) downtown,&uot; Mayor Phillip West said during that meeting.

Options include the city’s hiring its own economic and community development director or asking that the funds it gives the EDA be used for community development, West said.

West said Monday city officials still plan to tell county supervisors in the next week to 10 days what the city’s plans are for funding the EDA.

Under the EDA’s legislation, neither city nor county officials can tell the EDA how to spend the money they give it &045; only whether they will fund it at all.

But EDA Chairman Woody Allen that &uot;I would be supportive of trying Š to use our time, effort and resources&uot; to seek more grants for community development.

First, however, Allen said he wants to hear more about what city officials mean by community development. &uot;I didn’t really come out of (the Wednesday meeting) with a good idea of what they wanted&uot; in the way of community development, Allen said. &uot;I’d need more specifics.&uot;