NATCHEZ — Tension surrounding the replacement of the recently dismissed tourism board bubbled up Tuesday evening at the Natchez Board of Aldermen meeting.

Ward 3 Alderwoman Sarah Carter Smith presented a new plan to select an interim Convention Promotion Commission, which was not adopted after a tie-breaking “nay” vote from Natchez Mayor Butch Brown.

Smith moved to select a replacement commission from the members of the Tourism Marketing Advisory Committee, a group formed to advise the Convention and Visitors Bureau on how to spend marketing funds generated by the $2 heads-on-beds tax.

“There are things that need to be done down there,” Smith said. “They’re already familiar with the operations of CVB and marketing money, so it makes sense that they be made the interim board.”

Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, Ward 2 Alderwoman Mary Lee Toles and Ward 6 Alderman Dan Dillard voted against the measure, while Smith, Ward 4 Alderman Tony Fields and Ward 5 Alderman Mark Fortenbery voted in favor.

City Attorney Hyde Carby said some bills, for example one that would be paid to the city’s public relations firm, Lou Hammond and Associates, would have to be paid by the commission and could not legally be handled by the city government directly.

“It could be an interim board, that’s fine, but in order to keep the trains running on time, you need somebody in place as soon as possible,” Carby said.

Brown said he objected to what he said would be a change in the previously agreed-upon procedure to accept applications then appoint a board from the applicant pool.

“These people are being shortchanged,” Brown said, holding up the stack of applications. “The idea we need to do another interim for an interim is ludicrous.”

Smith replied she only intended to create a short-term board to pay bills until the next administration took over, at which point the applications could be used to seat a permanent board.

Dillard said he agreed with the mayor, and understood the applicants would be used to create an interim board, whose term would end in September.

“I don’t feel the urgency,” Dillard said. “It seems disingenuous to take these people’s applications who seem to have a lot of interest and not to follow through on them.”

Arceneaux-Mathis said she felt the plan was too suddenly brought up and should not be voted on Tuesday.

“This is a very serious situation,” Arceneaux-Mathis said. “Things of this nature should not be politically involved. At this meeting, at this time, I’m not ready to vote on it, and I think it’s being politically pushed.”

Toles said she agreed with Arceneaux-Mathis about the schedule feeling too rushed, saying the details would need to be discussed.

“I don’t think we should appoint a board tonight,” Toles said. “If you’ve got 10 (TMAC) members how will we decide who the six (commissioners) are going to be?”

City Clerk Donnie Holloway said he was concerned about the two pay periods between Tuesday and the next meeting on May 17. Holloway said the funds for the CVB’s payroll typically would come from a CVB account, which the city cannot access.

Brown insisted that Holloway attempt to withdraw money from the account anyway.

“You gonna go to jail?” Holloway said. “After 20 years of banking, I know what’s going on.”

Brown said the city would either find a way to access the account or borrow money in order to make payroll until a quorum could be appointed.

Carby recommended the board instead appoint an interim board, if not Tuesday, then in the near future.

“This is all suggested,” Carby said. “If you don’t want to do it, I frankly don’t care.”

Smith insisted a temporary TMAC board would solve many of the immediate problems in CVB operations.

“It’s only for a month,” Smith said, gesturing with her hands in the air.

Tony Fields said he was in favor of appointing an immediate board in order to facilitate the day-to-day operations at the CVB.

“I don’t want to put Mrs. Combs in a situation where she can’t operate and be effective,” Fields said.

Natchez Tricentennial Director and Interim Tourism Director Jennifer Ogden Combs said an immediate interim board might not be helpful at the CVB.

“It depends on the period,” she said. “If you have an interim that leaves July 1, you’re facing having to educate another board to start working on the next fiscal year’s budget.”

Arceneaux-Mathis suggested the board participate in a workshop in order to better understand the legislation that created the commission before appointing even an interim.

Smith said after the meeting she was surprised to hear some board members were unfamiliar with the plan, which she said was suggested to her in a letter from the Natchez-Adams County Chamber of Commerce.

“There are so many factions in the whole deal,” Smith said. “I thought it would be a way to look at it quickly, take care of business, and take our time on the (permanent board) which is, to me, what everybody in tourism has asked for.”

In other news:

4 The board spent approximately an hour in executive session to discuss updates on the ongoing lawsuit between the City of Natchez and Roundstone Development LLC, an appeal filed in West vs. City of Natchez, and prospective litigation related to former CVB director Kevin Kirby. Carby said Kirby had not filed a lawsuit against the city.