NATCHEZ &045; Recreation Commission members on Thursday voted to ask city aldermen, county supervisors and the school board for a total of $63,500 to last them through September 2004.

The commission will also ask the boards to extend the commission’s life for one year to give it more time to plan recreation improvements and to &uot;sell&uot; voters on the plan and a bond issue to fund it.

At that rate, the issue would be voted on in the November 2004 elections. At least 60 percent would need to vote for the plan for it to pass.

In order to get the project &045; and a proposal to fund it &045; on the ballot in November of this year, the commission would have had to get the information to the Secretary of State’s Office by Aug. 5.

Earlier this month, commission Chairman Joe Edit had estimated the total amount the commission would request at $50,000.

But the proposed budget approved Thursday by the commission included no fat, Eidt told board members.

Such things as a consultant to help promote the issue before the vote ($15,000) and legal and accounting help ($10,000) are needed, since commission members aren’t experts in those areas, he said.

Specifically, the commission is asking for $1,500 for this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, and $62,000 for the next fiscal year.

The budget for this year would include $800 for member bonding, $600 for supplies and $100 for postage.

Next fiscal year’s budget would include, in addition to the consultant and legal and accounting help listed above, $30,000 for a consultant to help develop a recreation master plan.

It also would include $4,000 for presentation hardware and software, $2,000 for supplies and bank charges, $800 for member bonding and $200 for postage.

&uot;That’ll take us almost to election time&uot; in 2004, said Dr. Harold Wayne Barnett, the commission’s finance chairman.

The commission will now present a written request and proposed budget to the aldermen, supervisors and school board, all of whom appointed the commission’s members.

As it now stands, those presentations will be made during Monday’s supervisors meeting, Tuesday’s aldermen meeting and the Aug. 11 school board meeting.