NATCHEZ — The Natchez Visitor Reception Center is set to receive at least $250,000 from the state for upkeep of the city-owned facility on South Canal Street.

The funding was included in the $927 million transportation budget the Legislature finalized Thursday for the next fiscal year, beginning July 1, as lawmakers wrapped up their three-month session.

House Transportation Committee Chairman Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, said the Natchez visitor center has traditionally not received state funding because it is owned by the city instead of the state, unlike other state welcome centers.

“It usually doesn’t get anything, but last year we were able to get $100,000 for it and this year more,” Johnson said.

“Because (the Natchez center) provides the same services and is, some would argue, the nicest state welcome center, we wanted to give them funding to bolster its ability to provide a warm and beautiful welcome to our visitors.”

The $250,000, Johnson said, can be used for maintenance, security and upkeep.

Lawmakers wrangled over the $927 million budget for the Mississippi Department of Transportation, and the House killed the budget earlier this week, accusing the Senate of loading the budget down with projects that only benefitted the districts of a select group of lawmakers.

“I just decided enough was enough,” Johnson said. “Some of the people in the Legislature don’t think we need to do anything right now to take care of critical needs for roads and bridges around the state, yet they want money for roads in their districts.

“I said if we’re going to continue that, at least give us an equal share of money to spread around these counties with critical needs.”

Earlier this week, the House balked at the first proposal for the transportation budget after saying the Senate had inserted $40 million worth of projects. Those included improvements to Mississippi 25 in Rankin County, near Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves’ home, and $11.2 million to upgrade a bridge on Mississippi 14 in Rolling Fork in the district of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Eugene “Buck” Clarke, R-Hollandale.

In the final agreement, the Senate got to keep those projects and the House got more money for local road construction.

The House and Senate agreed to put an extra $32 million into a program that helps local governments pay for road construction — but only if tax collections continue coming in at a good pace. If the economy slows and tax collections falter, the $32 million would not be spent.

Natchez Mayor Butch Brown said he is grateful to Johnson for seeing that the money for the visitor center was included in the state’s transportation budget.

“You really have to give him credit because he stood firm in getting $32 million for transportation projects in the state and was also successful in getting us money for our visitor center,” Brown said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.