NATCHEZ — The fate of Natchez Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Kevin Kirby’s official car seems to be another point of contention between the city and the Natchez Convention Promotion Commission.

Earlier this year, the commission took possession of the keys to the 2013 Lincoln MKX that was purchased by Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Kevin Kirby.

The car has not been driven since, the commission attorney Christina Daugherty said, and Daugherty wants the help of a judge to determine how to dispose of the car.

Natchez Mayor Butch Brown says the car is a city vehicle, not a commission-owned one.

Daugherty said Natchez Ford, the dealership from which the car was purchased, offered to buy the car back at fair market value, but would not refund previous payments.

Daugherty said she thinks the commission does not have the right to do that, because they would lose taxpayer money on the offer.

“If a vehicle wasn’t bid out properly and public funds were spent on that vehicle on a monthly basis, you’ll have to put it before a judge,” Daugherty said. “If they make that decision, so be it.”

The commission moved in its Thursday meeting to request a chancery court judge hear the details about the situation from both Daugherty and City Attorney Hyde Carby and render a decision on what should be done with the car.

“This gets it out of both of our hands,” Daugherty said. “It’s not an adversarial situation.”

The commission has alleged the vehicle was purchased improperly because it was funded through the CVB’s equipment lease account without the commission’s direct approval.

The commission has objected to the car not being included on balance sheets and financial records and accused Kirby of failing to inform them of the expenses after he had purchased the car.

Commissioner Virginia Benoist said in Thursday’s meeting her concerns about the vehicle’s liability insurance, which does not name the commission as the insured.

Kirby’s offer of employment, signed by Kirby and Natchez Mayor Butch Brown, references a city vehicle was to be included as part of his compensation package.

City Clerk Donnie Holloway said most department heads come to the board of aldermen for approval before choosing and purchasing a car, but the payments are arranged through the department’s budget.

Only certain dealerships have state contracts, Holloway said, which allows them to sell vehicles to government entities at better prices than most customers would be able to negotiate.

Kirby’s vehicle was purchased from Natchez Ford, which Holloway said the city has used several times for other vehicle needs.

Holloway said banks would typically submit bids to finance the car, and the city would generally choose the lowest offered interest rate.

In Thursday’s meeting, Kirby and Barbara Lomasney briefly discussed how the Lincoln was purchased.

“I never went through any bidding process for Kevin’s car,” Lomasney said. “Kevin went and bought the car.”

Kirby responded, “That’s your point of view, Barbara.”

Mayor Brown said he remembers signing papers approving Kirby’s car purchase.

“He is not out of line, his contract does entitle him to compensation, and of course a car,” Brown said. “I’m the one that signed the letter for him to purchase. And I knew what he bought.”

Brown said Kirby’s car was more expensive than is typically bought for department heads, though the size makes sense for Kirby’s needs for a vehicle used for touring visitors around the city.

“I think he didn’t think it through,” Brown said. “But of course, (Kirby) was working more closely with the committee than with me.”

Walter Tipton was the chair of the special committee formed to hire Kirby. He said he helped Lomasney and Kirby arrange the purchase of the car before its purchase, but referred both to Holloway for the finer details.

“This could all be resolved,” Tipton said. “Looks to me that the solution is the title be changed to the city, covered under their insurance.”

The car should be considered city property, Brown said, and not be sold back to the dealership.

“The deal was he was to have a car, and how it was acquired is not (Kirby’s) problem,” Brown said. “Now (the commission) is saying it’s their car. But we in the city disagree with that.”