NATCHEZ — The Ferriday Board of Aldermen voted in favor of paying legal fees for former mayor, the late Sammy Davis, despite the board attorney’s warning that doing so could be considered fiscally irresponsible.

District E Alderwoman Gloria Lloyd made the motion that $129,000 be paid to Davis’s lawyers using money to be received by Walmart.

District B Alderman Elijah Banks seconded Lloyd’s motion.

Davis was convicted of malfeasance in office, but that conviction was later overturned. Louisiana law allows for the compensation of legal fees of an elected official who proves themselves innocent of charges related to their conduct in office.

Before the vote was taken, Ferriday Town Attorney Anna Ferguson quoted sections of attorney general opinions on the matter.

The board is not required to pay the fees, but paying them is allowed, Ferguson said.

The opinion also stated the legal bills should be itemized before they are paid.

“Since the bill is not legally owned by the town it would not be fiscally responsible to pay (the fees) before the town pays other bills it is legally bound to pay,” Ferguson said.

“I wanted to point that out.”

A majority approved the motion to pay the fees with support of Lloyd, Banks, District D Alderman Johnnie Brown and District C Alderwoman Gail Pryor. District A Alderwoman Somer Lance voted against the motion.

No residents spoke during a public hearing at the meeting about paying the fees.

Payment of Davis’s legal fees has come before the board as an issue several times in recent years.

Also from Tuesday’s meeting, the board voted 4-1 to adopt amendments to an ordinance allowing video bingo in Ferriday.

Lance voted against supporting the amendments.

A public hearing was also scheduled on the video bingo amendments.

The audience at the meeting filled the room beyond seating capacity.

“We are here talking about the amendment; we already passed the ordinance,” McGlothin said to the audience before calling the public hearing to order.

He said the discussion should stick to comments about the amendments, not the ordinance already passed to allow bingo, to avoid “beating a dead horse.”

“We fought a good fight but sometimes you win and sometimes you lose,” he said.

One resident asked if the bingo hall could be located outside or close to the Ferriday city limits.

“They are going to put it where it will do well,” McGlothin said.

Wayne Gray, pastor of First Baptist Church of Ferriday, said he was concerned that the bingo hall would be located on the main road in Ferriday.

“What is on EE Wallace Boulevard is the image people are going to have of Ferriday,” Gray said.

He said he hoped the boulevard would not soon be lined with liquor stores and bingo parlors.

A few aldermen responded by asking the audience to stick to the subject of the amendments in response to Gray’s comments.

The amendments included the following:

4 An amendment about net proceeds indicated 10 percent of the net win from each video bingo machine would be paid monthly “as an assessment or tax owed to the town.”

The amendment defines “net win” as the dollar amount obtained by subtracting the total amount paid out from total coins in.

4 An amendment about licensing locations and permits indicates video bingo operations must be 150 feet from a church or school property line; approved locations are prohibited from selling alcohol; and only one location will be entitled to a commercial lessor license.

4 An amendment about license process fees indicates lessors and distributors/suppliers will pay a $250 license application to the town each year.

4 An amendment about machine permit fees indicates a $20 annual fee will be paid to the town for each machine.

4 An amendment about the maximum number of machines permitted indicates no more than 35 machines can operate in each licensed location.

Representatives from two video bingo vendors and lessors attended the meeting. Mayor Glen McGlothin said he also had information about a third vendor not present at the meeting who was interested in doing business in Ferriday.

Banks made a motion to select Big Bucks Bingo as the commercial vendor, but the motion died from the lack of a second.

At Pryor’s suggestion, the board agreed to delay selecting a single commercial vendor and lessor until approximately two weeks to review the interested parties.

The board agreed to have a special meeting to choose a vendor.

McGlothin said the board is considering annexation of mostly empty property along the highway. The annexation is being considered at the request of an individual, he said.

McGlothin requested a proclamation be drawn to include the property in question.

Also at the meeting, Rev. Simeon R. Green III invited the public to attend the Second Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday and Observance Service at 11 a.m. Monday at the Doty Road Church of God.