NATCHEZ — Natchez aldermen did not approve a $500,000 loan the city clerk says is needed to keep city government operational.

Clerk Donnie Holloway requested a motion on the loan at Tuesday night’s board of aldermen meeting, and Alderman Ernest “Tony” Fields made the motion.

But no alderman was willing to offer a second on the motion, and it died.

“Guys, this is something we’re going to have to do to hold us over,” Mayor Jake Middleton said said to the silent aldermen. “Y’all going to shut city government down?”

Holloway brought up the need for the loan at last week’s city work session. He said it was needed to make payroll and operate the city for the next two months.

After the meeting, Holloway said he hopes aldermen will change their minds by the Aug. 11 meeting.

“We’ll just have to bring it back up at the next meeting,” he said. “It will more than likely be approved at the next meeting.”

The city already borrowed $500,000 in May to cover budget costs.

In other business:

4 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis requested to Building Inspector Paul Dawes that he contact the state to see what state-owned properties are in the City of Natchez.

If the houses are dilapidated, Mathis said she would like the ownership transferred to the city for either rehabilitation of the home or demolition.

Habitat for Humanity Director Duncan McFarlane said he has picked out approximately 10 state-owned properties that meet the requirements as per zoning regulations to be used to Habitat houses.

Mathis said that is one avenue she would like to explore if the city were to take ownership of the state-owned properties.

4 Grants Coordinator Brett Brinegar requested the board make a motion for a resolution to authorize her to apply for $500,000 in Mississippi Development Authority funds for the Forks of the Road.

The money was appropriated in a letter of intent from the Mississippi legislature for construction at the site — along with $1.3 million for the downtown streets overlay — but the city never applied for the money.

The motion was approved unanimously.

4 Alderman Dan Dillard applauded the board of aldermen for their diligence in budget review, planning and decision making over the past several months.

“It’s not only the prerogative of this board, but it’s the responsibility,” he said. “There will be change coming, and with change begins the process of turning the budget around.”

4Mathis said she would like to hone in on getting stimulus funds for the city. She said the mayor of Madison hired an additional employee to just scout out stimulus money for the city.

She said she knew there wasn’t money to hired a new employee but said the person could be hired and paid only when stimulus money was acquired for the city.

She requested Middleton call the mayor of Madison.

Mathis also said she believes city officials need to make another trip to Washington, D.C., to put in additional requests for project funds for Marblestone Alley, North Natchez Drainage and the West Stiers Lane area.

“I’m very afraid that this money is going to go past us and go past us quick,” she said.

She said she will be meeting with Holloway to see what funds remain in the aldermen travel budgets.