NATCHEZ — A year has passed since the Natchez Board of Aldermen first discussed changing the city’s charter to make the city clerk an appointed rather than elected position.

But the alderman who first publicly proposed the idea said he doesn’t want the issue to fade away.

The aldermen first asked City Attorney Hyde Carby to investigate what needs to be done to amend the charter in August 2013. Since then, the issue has fallen into the background as the board focused on other matters.

But Alderman Dan Dillard said he doesn’t want the fiscal year to end before the board officially moves to make the charter amendment, and he is almost certain he will bring it up before then.

That’s because the charter change would require approval at the state level, and Dillard said he wants the process started before the legislature convenes.

The change needs to be made because the city clerk’s office has “fallen into almost dysfunction,” Dillard said, and the board can’t properly plan without knowing the true balance of the city’s books.

“I can’t think of any one position that can affect everything more than that position,” Dillard said.

“If your finances aren’t in order, you can’t give policemen a starting salary and pay rate that will keep them here, you can’t do the things that are necessary to upgrade fire houses and equipment, or recreation — it affects everything.”

Dillard said he believes the minimum requirements for the clerk should include having a degree in accounting, administrative experience with a staff and experience in municipal finance, which has different operating principles than normal accounting.

“Once we got approval for the amendment, we would put out request for proposals (for potential clerk hires),” he said.

Carby said if the board votes to amend the charter, the amendment would be posted as a public notice like a new ordinance. It would also have to be sent to the state attorney general and the governor’s office.

State law likewise dictates that if 10 percent of voters protest the amendment, it has to be approved in a special election.

“The charter is like our constitution, so you can’t just amend it willy nilly,” Carby said.

The next election scheduled for city clerk is 2016. City Clerk Donny Holloway said last week he did not plan to run for the office again.

“I actually told (the board) I did not plan to run again several months before they brought (the charter change) up,” he said.

The board has also previously discussed making the municipal judge’s position an appointed one.