NATCHEZ &045; It’s a trickle down effect.

This time last year IP was closing its doors, but Adams County taxpayers are just now getting ready to foot the bill.

By Oct. 1, property owners, home owners, business owners and car tag owners will know just how much the IP closure is going to cost them.

County and city officials are number crunching right now, but Adams County Board of Supervisors President Darryl Grennell has already acknowledged that a tax increase is a very real possibility.

The Natchez-Adams School District has already held a public hearing on a proposed 26 percent tax increase to meet their budget. Though officials are still trying to cut the budget to decrease the taxpayer burden, an increase of some level will happen.

Natchez resident Kirk Bartley, who has experience on the city Planning Commission and in the local tourism business, said the IP closure has had an impact on the whole town.

&uot;Directly on some, indirectly on others,&uot; Bartley said. &uot;People can’t just keep spending whether we have the money or not. Businesses that sell those things outside the bottom line necessities are the ones that are going to be affected, auto dealers, restaurants, recreational businesses.&uot;

Assistant Manager at Dunleith Rene Adams said the tourism business is also feeling the affects.

&uot;Whenever there is a loss in the general fund of taxes, tourism is one of those that loses (money),&uot; she said. &uot;If you cut funds, tourism is one of those you cut. It affects how we market the City of Natchez.

&uot;Personally, we have a lack of people coming in to dine. Residents that moved away were potential customers.&uot;

Businesses and restaurants aren’t the only entities suffering &045; local non-profit organizations have also seen a decrease in funds.

&uot;We were very affected,&uot; United Way Executive Director Rhonda Stevens said. &uot;We lost about $72,000. That’s going to be kind of hard to replace. We’ll dig our heels deeper.&uot;

Stevens said the $72,000 came from corporate donations from IP and from IP workers who were donating either through one-time contributions or through payroll deductions.

Stevens said United Way was organizing several special events to try to make up the lost money.

&uot;If we don’t have it the agencies that we fund will get cut, and that’s sad,&uot; she said.

The United Way contributes to a number of local organizations including the Council on Aging, Catholic Charities, the Salvation Army and the Red Cross.