NATCHEZ &045;&045; The Natchez-Adams County Economic Development Authority has a number of powers not vested in the board of supervisors or the board of aldermen, according to the legislation that created the EDA.

&uot;The broad powers of the EDA are critical to the full development of other resources,&uot; City Attorney Walter Brown said.

City officials said earlier this week they are considering changing their allocation to the EDA or requesting that it be used for community development purposes. The city currently gives $100,000 to the EDA.

The city and county are not required to fund the EDA, but it must be unrestricted funding.

The EDA legislation was revised in 2002 &045;&045; when the number of board members was changed from 15 to five &045;&045; to include a number of authorized powers.

Many of the powers given to the EDA allow it to carry out functions like a business, Brown said.

For example, Brown said, the EDA can acquire real estate and develop it for a variety of purposes that the city and county cannot do.

The EDA can also operate facilities for economic development purposes, such as a hotel or industrial facility, Brown said.

&uot;The city and county generally can’t do that kind of thing,&uot; Brown said.

The legislation passed in 2002 was revised using suggestions from other economic development organizations in the state, Brown said.

The legislation also requires the city and county to meet in August to &uot;determine and agree upon the total levy or appropriation.&uot;

City officials said this week they will let the county know soon whether and at what level they will fund the EDA.

But on Thursday several aldermen said they do not want to dissolve the EDA and are willing to fund it at their current level as long as their concerns about community development are taken into account.

The EDA board is currently searching for a new director, after Mike Ferdinand resigned last month.

EDA chairman Woody Allen said Thursday the authority could operate for a short time without the city’s funding but could not continue long-term.

&uot;And there’s no way we’re going to get a new director in here&uot; without the full funding, he said.