Ferriday — Gamers and gamblers can now play video bingo in Ferriday, despite what some residents and the mayor had to say about the electronic gambling machines at a public hearing on the matter.

During the hearing at the town’s regular meeting, the Rev. Wayne Gray, pastor of First Baptist Church in Ferriday, said he is against video bingo because it will exploit the community’s poorest.

“People who can afford to lose a little money are not going to be at a video bingo establishment,” Gray said.

“(Video bingo users) are the ones that come to me and can’t pay the light (bill).”

Mayor Glen McGlothin agreed with Gray, saying the machines will take money from those who could spend it better elsewhere.

“On the upside, (Ferriday) will get some money, but the downside is (Ferriday) would be getting that money from the poorest of the poor,” McGlothin said.

The Rev. Simeon Green said video bingo could affect the community negatively.

“We are a better people than electronic video bingo,” Green said. “There has to be something else to come into Ferriday to make Ferriday a better place.”

McGlothin said the city has voted on video bingo in the past and failed to pass an ordinance allowing the machines, which should establish it is the wrong move for Ferriday.

The mayor also pointed out problems with the video bingo ordinance, saying the ordinance did not specify narrowly enough the percentages and areas that would reap the benefits of the revenue.

After the board voted to close the public hearing, an ordinance allowing video gaming was passed 3-1 with one abstention.

Aldermen Elijah “Stepper” Banks, Gail Pryor and Gloria Lloyd voted “yes,” to the ordinance. Alderman Somer Lance voted “no” and alderman Johnny Brown abstained from the vote.

In other business:

– The board passed an ordinance to pay $129,000 in legal fees to the estate of former mayor, the late Sammy Davis.

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.

– McGlothin said he hopes to have official approval for a $124,000 grant to build a plaza downtown. He said he has already received preliminary approval and hopes for confirmation on the funding by Friday.

The plaza includes light fixtures equipped with music speakers, a 40-by 50-foot pavilion to allow coverage over tables and chairs and the plaza’s bathrooms are currently under construction, McGlothin said.

McGlothin said he has received complaints about no-parking signs for the area near the future sight of the plaza. He said parking was temporarily prohibited to allow officials from Washington, D.C., involved with the grant source to view the property.

– Green invited the public to a meeting Tuesday at the Doty Road Church of God to discuss economic development ideas.

District 21 Rep. Andy Anders, who attended the meeting to discuss economic development, said he planned to attend.

McGlothin encouraged the public to attend.

“If (residents are) serious about Ferriday, go be there Tuesday night, and share (every type of) idea.

“The six of us don’t know it all, and we don’t have any money in Ferriday,” he said.

McGlothin said government projects have made it difficult for the town to complete economic development projects because of unexpected cuts in grant funding.

“We’re always half-cocked and ready to go,” he said. “We need your help.”