NATCHEZ — In order to continue offering services to abused children, the Southwest Mississippi Children’s Advocacy Center requested funds from the Adams County Board of Supervisors Monday.

The center, which lost $33,000 in federal funding in July, provides legal services to children mostly under age 13, who have been sexually or physically abused, the center’s director Lori Tate said.

Last year, Tate said the CAC serviced 24 children from Adams County, with an average savings of $2,000 per case. This year, she said the center has already served 21 children.

Tate said employees of the nonprofit group, who are professionally trained to talk with children, conduct videotaped interviews with abused children after the alleged abuse.

The process prevents children from undergoing numerous lines of questioning from various levels of law enforcement, which can be redundant and traumatic.

The center sometimes provides therapy to the children as well.

Tate said the center saves money on law enforcement costs because the interviews often result in plea bargains to prevent children from being forced to testify in crowded courtrooms.

The center’s professionals also provide expert testimonies at no charge for cases that reach trial.

The federal funding cuts came from Victims of Crime Act. Funding for VOCA comes from federal fines paid by criminals.

The Sunshine Children’s Center in Natchez lost $46,000 in VOCA grant money in July.

Tate said the center services 12 counties and has asked other counties for funding, as well.

The board voted to take the request under advisement.

Board President Darryl Grennell asked Tate to supply the board with data to help determine the amount of money the nonprofit saves Adams County on average per year arrive at a proportional funding request.

Also at Monday’s meeting, District 1 Supervisor Mike Lazarus said he would support placing a referendum on a ballot asking the voters if recreation should be paid for with sales taxes.

District 5 Supervisor S.E. “Spanky” Felter suggested using sales tax to pay for recreation at an Aug. 16 meeting.

Felter said sales tax was the only fair method of taxing citizens for recreation, especially since many Nathcez residents are retired and live on a fixed income.

Lazarus said he supports Felter’s suggestion to place a proposal on the ballot to gauge the public’s interest in the idea — but he said he personally would vote against it.

Grennell said other counties are using certain types of sales tax — excluding groceries, for instance — to pay for specific projects such as recreation.

Grennell suggested the county attorney research methods of using sales tax for projects before the board made a decision to pursue that type of funding.

The board granted attorney Bobby Cox authorization to research the sales tax process.

District 2 Supervisor Henry Watts said he would like to hear a report from the Natchez-Adams Recreation Commission about the actual costs of the project.

Lazarus responded that the recreation commission may not know the cost yet. Watts said he would like an update, regardless.

Watts said he also wanted to discuss with the recreation commission whether the school board can legally contribute money to property not owned by the school district.

Lazarus said the Natchez Board of Alderman has discussed the idea of consolidating law enforcement with the sheriff’s office and police department.

The high cost of repairs on the Adams County jail and budgets of over $3 million for both the sheriff’s office and the police department may be eased by consolidation, Lazarus said.

“Some people may have to lose jobs, but the (prison is begging for people (to hire),” Lazarus said.

“But if it’s not going to save money I don’t want to (consolidate).”

In other business, four residents appeared in front of the board asking for assistance with erosion and drainage problems near their houses. All four residents referenced the Aug. 18 heavy rains as a contributing factor to the problems.