NATCHEZ — A dispute over the placement of a Magnolia Bluffs Casino sign on Roth Hill ended in a tiebreaker vote at Tuesday’s aldermen meeting and has caused tension between city and casino officials.

Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, in whose ward the casino sits, made a motion at the meeting to allow Magnolia Bluffs to move its sign closer to the intersection at the top of Roth Hill or cut a tree that reportedly obstructs the view of the sign.

After several minutes of debate, Mayor Butch Brown broke a 3-3 tie, voting against the motion.

Brown said Magnolia Bluffs would not receive special treatment just because it pays $1 million in rent annually to the city.

“Well, thank God they do,” Arceneaux-Mathis said.

Brown agreed, but did not change his mind.

City Planner Frankie Legaux said Wednesday she is not certain the exact parameters of the property the casino leases from the city. She said, though, if the sign is not on property the casino is leasing, it is considered on “off-premise,” which is against city ordinance.

The casino has moved the sign three times at the top of Roth Hill to presumably all off-premise sites, making the locations against city ordinance.

Casino President Kevin Preston said Wednesday the sign is currently in a location where “the mayor said we could move it.”

The city has looked the other way about the sign’s location for the sake of cooperation, Brown said Wednesday.

Brown also said the casino moved the sign the last time without permission, and he said the police chief ticketed the casino for a sign violation. Brown said the casino also placed lighting on the sign without permission.

Preston expressed frustration at the situation.

“We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars marketing new people to come to Natchez, but if they can’t find us, what good is it?” he said. “Our sign is set back off the street blocked by tree limbs and a city stop sign — what business has to deal with those conditions?  It’s evident the ordinance has to change, and until it does, we’re stopping any further giving at this point.”

Preston said the casino would not make donations, buy sponsorships or fulfill any special requests from the city until the matter is resolved.

“I’m also looking into our current agreements (with the city) with our legal team as we speak,” he said.

Arceneaux-Mathis, Ward 2 Alderman Ricky Gray and Ward 4 Alderman Tony Fields voted to allow the casino to move the sign. Ward 3 Alderwoman Sarah Smith, Ward 5 Alderman Mark Fortenbery and Ward 6 Alderman Dan Dillard voted against it.

Ward 3 Alderwoman Sarah Smith voted against the motion Tuesday, but said after the meeting she would like the ordinance to be amended to allow the casino to have an off-premise sign. Smith said she voted against the motion because she wants to go through the proper legal channels to amend the ordinance.

Preston said “right or wrong,” he wanted to commend the aldermen who voted in favor of the casino.

“As always, we will continue to work with the board to try and change the ordinance to improve it — not just for us — but for other businesses in town as well that have voiced their concern over some of the red tape business has to go through,” Preston said. “We constantly ask ourselves why Natchez can’t attract new businesses and why is downtown so vacant?  I’m not asking to disrupt the historic aspect of the town, but we need to get into the 21st century with some of the things that compress growth.”