NATCHEZ &8212; The county won&8217;t receive property tax dollars on the planned convention center hotel for the first 15 years of its existence.

The board of supervisors approved a resolution Thursday morning agreeing to defer on collecting those tax dollars in line with a state tax incremental financing statute.

During that time the hotel will pay property taxes through the county that will go to the public schools.

City Attorney Walter Brown asked the supervisors to adopt the resolution for the120-room hotel proposed by developer Thomas Bauer. The city signed an option agreement with Bauer Tuesday.

In other business, the board approved a request from Civil Defense Director George Souderes to apply for FEMA fire grants to purchase generators for two volunteer fire departments and equipment that would clear truck exhaust from the fire station truck bays.

If awarded the county will have to offer 10 percent matches to the grants. Supervisors Henry Watts and S.E. &8220;Spanky&8221; Felter voted against applying for the grants, saying they wanted more information on the cost of the equipment and the potential match needed.

Board President Darryl Grennel said the board could later turn down the grants if the cost is too high.

The board also nominated Bill Ernst as a candidate to serve on the Natchez Regional hospital board. They&8217;ll vote on Ernst and another member at a later meeting.