NATCHEZ — Three more Natchez eyesores are on the road to destruction.

The Natchez Board of Aldermen voted Tuesday to proceed with demolition of abandoned structures at 12 Irving Lane, 1024 Martin Luther King St. and 11 Winston Hill.

But with the demolition funds dwindling, just how the structures would disappear was a point of discussion.

The board first considered having public works employees do the damage, but then realized bids from private contractors were cheaper than city labor and debris removal would be.

The low bids for demolition and debris removal of all three structures total $5,600.

In other business:

Mayor Jake Middleton gave a report on how political campaign signs are affected by the city’s sign ordinance, saying City Attorney Everett Sanders interprets the law to say that political billboards are acceptable at any time.

But at the end of the meeting, citizen Jeremy Fakes asked to address the board further on the campaign signs. Fakes was not on the agenda, and Middleton originally denied him a chance to speak.

Middleton said he had contacted Fakes in response to his request to be on the agenda.

“I asked and went out of our way to set up a meeting with you, and you chose not to meet with us,” Middleton said.

But Fakes said he wanted to address the mayor in a public forum, not a private meeting.

Alderman Ricky Gray said Fakes had a right to speak, and asked for a vote from the board. The mayor first broke a 3-3 tie with a “no” vote, but then changed his mind and allowed Fakes to speak.

Fakes argued that, according to the sign ordinance, sheriff candidate Cliff Cox has put up campaign billboards too early.

Middleton and Sanders stuck by their initial report, and told Fakes any candidate was welcome to put up billboards now.

The board approved paying for two days of travel costs for Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis.

Mathis will be attending the Congressional Black Caucus Institute in Tunica next Wednesday through Saturday.

Mathis is paying for her own hotel room two of the nights.

Middleton recommended that Mathis attend the event in order to obtain information about stimulus money that may be available to Natchez.