NATCHEZ — When the Natchez Board of Aldermen tabled a decision on step pay raises at its last meeting, the board stopped a scheduled raise one firefighter was expecting.

A city dispatcher’s raise was also stopped.

In 1996, the board enacted the step-pay program, which allows public safety officials to be eligible for raises in correlation with their years of service.

But now with city officials looking through the budget for ways to make cuts, the step program has been an area of savings consideration.

Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis suggested freezing the step program for an undetermined amount of time during the city’s last work session in June.

City Clerk Donnie Holloway said the entire payroll report on the docket was tabled for further discussion, not just the step program items.

Mayor Jake Middleton said a freeze has not officially been put in place across the board.

If the board does vote to freeze the program, Holloway said it will not be retroactive.

Yet the two public safety officials have not yet received their pay increase.

The board of aldermen will meet today for another work session about the budget.

Aldermen Mark Fortenbery, Ernest “Tony” Fields, Bob Pollard, and James “Ricky” Gray have all said they do not support the freezing of the step program, which Middleton said will come up for discussion today.

“I feel sure that will probably be one of the options that is brought up,” Middleton said. “Nothing is concrete.”

Fortenbery, Fields and Gray said there are other areas in the budget that can be cut first before turning to public safety departments.

“We need to find every account that this city has, and we need to put all the money on the table,” Gray said.

Alderman Dan Dillard said he had no comment prior to today’s meeting.

“There are certain dynamics about a live discussion that help formulate positions,” he said.

Mathis could not be reached for comment.

Holloway said freezing the program would save $41,600 annually.

The board cannot make official decisions during a work session, and any vote would have to be cast during the next regularly scheduled meeting at 11 a.m. July 14.

Fields said he is not sure whether the step increases for the two public safety officials will be brought up again and approved.

“I sure hope so,” he said.

With some of the lowest salaries in the state, both Natchez Fire Chief Oliver Stewart and Natchez Police Chief Mike Mullins said they hope the aldermen do not enact a freeze.

Both chiefs have also said their staff is fearful of the freeze.

“It’s one of the only things,” they have, Stewart said of his firefighters. “It’s a really good incentive for a lot of them.

“The majority of them do have second jobs.”

Several options for saving money, such as privatizing grass cutting in the recreation department and increasing the amount of money city employees pay toward their insurance each month, have also been considered as means to save money.

Patricia Gibson, the personnel director, recently resigned from her position and city officials are considering keeping it open to save money.