Three Natchez aldermen left me flabbergasted last week. Foolish speculation can complicate even the simplest act.

Less than six months after the entire board of aldermen unanimously approved a plan for the city to annex two small, unoccupied areas of the county, three aldermen jammed on the brakes last week.

All three of Natchez’s black aldermen, Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, James “Ricky” Gray and Ernest “Tony” Fields, were surprise opponents at what was expected to be a routine hearing to move the annexation plan ahead.

It seems that in the last five months or so, the trio — along with former Mayor Phillip West and some members of the local chapter of the NAACP — has decided the annexation plan would violate federal law.

If you’re confused, join the crowd.

First, the amazing thing is that this wasn’t something that was done in a hurry. This plan is nothing new.

Areas proposed for annexation have been considered and discussed for years.

Both areas were also included in the annexation plan West proposed in late 2006.

West’s plan was essentially the plan his predecessor, former Mayor Hank Smith, had created in 2001.

So what’s happened in the last few years — in the case of West — and months — in the case of the three aldermen that make the two pieces of property now dangerous to annex?

Neither property has any inhabitants. Both sites are just populated by dirt, some trees and maybe an armadillo or two.

How in the world can unoccupied land violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

Because of what “might” happen on the land, the opponents seem to say.

They believe possible development on one of the sites may be too expensive for minorities to purchase.

“The ability to move is not attainable for the majority (of minorities),” Mathis said during the meeting.

She may be right.

Depending upon how exclusive the development may become, the great number of minority residents in the city may not be able to afford it.

But the minorities Mathis may be speaking about may not be the actual minority race in Natchez.

Interestingly, according to Census data, whites, not blacks, are the minority in Natchez. That’s right, Natchez is 44 percent white and 56 percent black.

Anyone who has ever looked carefully at the city’s aldermen ward boundaries can see they’ve been gerrymandered beyond belief.

Effectively, we’ve skewed the lines and played games with it to virtually guarantee three predominantly white wards and three predominantly black ones.

So are the opponents suddenly concerned that the citywide races — mayor, city clerk, municipal judge — will be thrown by the “potential” for what “may” be developed on one patch of the dirt?

If so, that’s a thin argument, especially given the fact that they approved the very plan months ago.

When will our city (and county) leaders start paying attention to the laws on which they are voting?

Supervisors vote to yank funding for the EDA and several later admitting they did so without having read the law.

Now aldermen are reversing course on something that — if they persist in fighting — will likely waste taxpayer money.

It’s sad when our city cannot accomplish a simple task of annexing completely uninhabited, undeveloped property without someone throwing down the race card.

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.