NATCHEZ, Miss. – Adams County supervisors have discussed providing more money for further improving Natchez-Adams County’s new swimming pool, but they’ve held off funding until a financial review of the city-county recreation program is finalized.
While plans are underway with state and local funds for heating and covering the outdoor pool for use in cold weather, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks has made more state money available, said Natchez Community Development Director James Johnston. However, the city and county needs to provide more local funds to combine with state funds to qualify for the extra money.
Johnston said additional funds could pay for a pool-chlorination system, spectator bleachers and storage accommodations for the year-old pool. The total budget estimate for the additional improvements is about $80,000. This would augment the $264,000 already budgeted for heating and covering the pool.
The Board of Supervisors in November hired accountants to audit how the city-county Recreation Commission’s finances have been handled. With funds provided by Natchez and Adams County boards, the Recreation Commission operates the public swimming pool, ballfields and parks. The city-county recreation program’s finances and management have been in disarray this past year. Questions have arisen about how money the commission gets is being spent and accounted for.
County Administrator Joe Murray told supervisors last week that accountants have been reviewing the recreational finances and that city, county and recreation officials need to assess the findings “so everybody can be on the same page.”
As the new Adams County Board of Supervisors begins its term, a new state law took effect Jan. 1 letting county supervisors give themselves a pay raise. The new law lets Mississippi’s county supervisors increase their pay by three percent. A publicly recorded vote by the board is required for this pay raise. Adams County supervisors in 2016 did raise their annual salary to $44,700 each.
The board ended its first public meeting Jan. 6 to discuss behind closed doors various matters, including personnel issues, litigation and a new business interested in locating in Adams County.
