NATCHEZ — If any changes come to Natchez-Adams Economic Development Authority, they likely won’t be coming from the legislative level this year.

The EDA is governed by a legislative local and private agreement. Any major changes to the authority would require legislative action. But Friday is the deadline for the introduction of any new bills that would change local and private agreements.

Despite calls for changes to the EDA from Adams County Board of Supervisors and Natchez Board of Aldermen, neither group has made any such requests to the legislature.

But Supervisor Darryl Grennell said just because the legislature is not currently involved in the local EDA, it does not mean change won’t come.

“We can still make changes,” Grennell said.

But the changes that can now be made to the EDA are limited since no bill has been introduced to the legislature during the current session. The next regular session won’t start until January.

Three months ago the supervisors cut funding to the EDA, citing a lack of economic development in the community.

The withheld funding has since been returned to the EDA, but a dialogue centered on changes to the EDA followed.

Grennell said since no legislative appeals have been made, things like the number of members on EDA the board cannot be changed until the next legislative session.

However the actual board members can be changed without the approval of the legislature.

Supervisor Mike Lazarus said the changes he wants to see at the EDA, like increased involvement between the business community and EDA, don’t require any changes on the legislative level.

“That might be jumping the gun,” Lazarus said of using the legislature. “We need to keep working on it.”

Lazarus said he’s looking forward to seeing the results of a survey being circulated by the Natchez-Adams Chamber of Commerce, in which the chamber is seeking input from the local business community as to what the EDA’s function in the community should be.

And both Lazarus and Natchez Mayor Jake Middleton said they’re eager to hear a presentation from the Louis Berger Group, which recently studied the EDA and made multiple recommendations for improving the group.

And Middleton said he’s still hoping to organize a meeting between the three boards.

“I’m not going to let this thing die,” he said. “(The EDA) is something we need.”

EDA Board Chairman Woody Allen said he’s still coordinating with members of the Berger Group, and is planning to organize a meeting with them, and the three boards in April.