Proposed city budget includes raises for public works, mayor and aldermen

NATCHEZ — The proposed fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2025, city budget includes pay increases for the public works department, as well as the mayor and aldermen.

Out of an audience of approximately 10, no one asked questions or commented at the City of Natchez public hearing on the proposed 2024-2025 fiscal year budget.

Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson and City Clerk Megan McKenzie provided information about the coming year’s budget before the hearing began on Thursday night.

Gibson said he was grateful for “another good year financially and a balanced budget and we are getting many things done this year without raising taxes.”

Aldermen made no decisions about the budget on Thursday night.

“We will have another meeting in another week when we will adopt the budget,” he said.

Gibson discussed several changes in the coming year’s budget related to salaries and pay increases in general terms.

“There are a few things we cannot discuss tonight, such as salaries that are in the budget for particular individuals because of privacy. Those matters will be dealt with in executive sessions on personnel matters. There are a couple of items related to salaries I do want to mention,” he said.

The new budget proposes an increase for the city’s public works department employees worth approximately $150,000.

“It’s their year, and we are so grateful for all they do,” Gibson said.

He also discussed his own salary.

“When I was elected four years ago, the last two mayors before me had been retired and the mayor’s position is one of the lower paid positions,” he said. “I am very grateful that city leaders and those watching all the numbers have agreed they need to get the mayor’s salary comparable to what other leaders are making, such as the school superintendent, the Adams County administrator, and leaders of other municipalities, such as the mayor of Vidalia.”

Gibson currently makes $68,000. He said the new budget proposed setting the mayor’s salary at approximately 5 percent more than the city clerk’s.

City Clerk Megan McKenzie currently makes $84,000 per year.

“The mayor is the CEO of the city and is it appropriate that the mayor would make a little more than the city clerk. I just want to be transparent about that,” Gibson said.

The proposed budget also calls for an 8 percent increase in the amount paid to the city’s aldermen.

Five of the six aldermen currently make approximately $22,000 per year. Ward 2 Alderman Billie Joe Frazier makes approximately half of the amount because he is a retired city police officer drawing his city pension. Because of his municipal retirement, his earnings are capped.

In her overview of the proposed budget, McKenzie said the budget is balanced and does not call for a tax increase on citizens.

“We did pull from our various reserves to accomplish that, but we felt it was important to do that and not increase taxes,” she said.

Pay increases will be funded through savings realized from the city’s recently negotiated new garbage contract. The budget also calls for replacing approximately four vehicles, “which are worse for wear, older and unreliable,” McKenzie said.

The budget also includes purchasing new equipment and continuing renovations for recreation and public buildings, another $1 million in street repairs in the coming year, repairs to the Canal Street bridge and the North Natchez Park Pavillion, and bringing Commerce Street sidewalks into ADA compliance.

“We couldn’t budget for everything everyone wanted and requested, but we feel we’ve done a really good job of covering the needs of each department,” McKenzie said.

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