The public will have a chance to express their opinion on a federal courthouse in Natchez today.

Like the Natchez Board of Alderman did earlier this summer, the Adams County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the matter at 9 a.m. during its regular meeting.

The hearing is needed so Adams County can issue urban renewal bonds. The bonds are needed to finance the project at its proposed site of Memorial Hall.

The bonds would cost the city and county governments $500,000 apiece, but Supervisor Darryl Grennell thinks it is a worthwhile project.

&uot;The federal courthouse is a worthwhile project. We need it here,&uot; Grennell said. &uot;I am 100 percent in support of it.&uot;

Officials say the federal courthouse would be a boost to the local economy bringing in federal dollars and generating &uot;spin-off&uot; industries

&uot;(The courthouse) will be good for the Adams County for years to come,&uot; said Supervisor Lynwood Easterling.

Natchez Mayor F.L. &uot;Hank&uot; Smith said the federal courthouse in itself would be like a small industry.

&uot;You’re looking at the potential creation of 30 to 35 jobs, and these are federal jobs that are well paying jobs for the most part,&uot; Smith said.

The federal courthouse would bring lawyers and legal teams to town for trials that will need to rent office space and make use of local supplies, restaurants and hotels.

The process to bring a federal courthouse began in 1998 and in 1999 the U.S. Congress approved legislation allowing the courthouse to be placed in Natchez.