NATCHEZ &8212; The tax assessor&8217;s office may soon be able to use the county&8217;s geographic information system, or GIS.

The system compiles data and maps to create detailed digital images of the county. It can be used a number of ways, from locating fire hydrants to city planning, said Peter Dale, director of the GIS program.

The main building blocks for the maps are parcels of land determined by the county tax assessor&8217;s office, Dale said.

Most of the system is complete and usable, he said, but without hardware, software and printers, the tax assessor&8217;s office will not be able to use the system.

A certain amount of money is set aside for the tax assessor&8217;s office each year, Tax Assessor Reynolds Atkins said at the board of supervisors meeting Monday. The money can be used for maps and appraisals, he said.

Atkins asked the board Monday to use some of that money toward equipment so he could use the GIS system.

Supervisors President Darryl Grennell said the board would take Atkins&8217; request into account during budgeting.

Grennell said he was personally in favor of it.

&8220;We can no longer stay in the dark ages,&8221; Grennell said. &8220;We&8217;ve got to get the tax assessor&8217;s office where it needs to be.&8221;

In other business, Adams County Election Commission Chairman Larry Gardner suggested paying poll workers for training hours.

By law, the county cannot pay poll workers for the hours they work, but they can be paid for hours spent in training, Gardner said.

He suggested paying, at maximum, $20 per hour per person for 100 people to train two hours each.

The board of supervisors said they would discuss including that cost in their budget for the next fiscal year.