NATCHEZ — An introduction to an ordinance that would have raised the Ferriday aldermen salary by $400 a month was denied at Tuesday night’s meeting.

Alderman Elijah Banks made the ordinance to increase the aldermen’s monthly salary from $200 to $600 to take effect in January.

Banks and Alderman Johnnie Brown voted in favor of the ordinance while Alderman Jerome Harris and Alderwomen Gloria Loyd and Somer Lance voted against.

Had the introduction passed, it would have become an ordinance, which would have required a public hearing.

An introduction to an ordinance that did pass and will have a public hearing at the board’s next regular meeting is the renaming of Morning Star Alley to the Rev. Johnny Hollis.

A letter written by Morning Star Alley residents opposing the change was read by Mayor Glen McGlothin, and several residents were in attendance to voice their opposition.

“This is no place or time for discussion of this,” Brown said.

McGlothin reiterated that the public hearing is the time for dissenting voices.

Banks’ request to turn the former Ferriday town hall into aldermen offices was declined.

“You’ll be the only aldermen outside New Orleans with an office,” McGlothin said.

He said if more than three aldermen were to be in the office at the same time, it would be considered a closed meeting which violates the Sunshine Law.

McGlothin also said the building would have to be furnished and rewired, and there’s just no time or money in the city’s coffers to fund that.

He did suggest that an empty, unused office in the current town hall could be used as a meeting place in which the aldermen can conduct their business.

Work orders are now going to be more organized with a new policy being set in place.

McGlothin said from now on when work orders are placed, they will be first come, first served.

By responding to them in order, he said it will be more organized and will expedite the process.

“We’ll do them in order so we won’t jump around,” he said.

Finally, Brown made a suggestion that the city do a total inventory of what the city owns, not just buildings and land.

“To my knowledge, I don’t know what we own as a town,” he said. “Everything should be inventoried. We don’t need to buy new equipment each time the administration changes.”

He said by doing this, it will save the taxpayers money.