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Adams County Emergency Management Director Robert Bradford

Ward 3 Alderwoman Sarah Carter-Smith

Ward 2 Alderman Billie Joe Frazier

Ward 6 Alderman Curtis Moroney

Ward 4 Alderwoman Felicia Bridgewater-Irving

Ward 1 Alderwoman Valencia Hall

NATCHEZ — Adams County Emergency Management Director Robert Bradford asked the city’s Board of Aldermen to help pay a portion of the cost for upgrading software that allows the county’s emergency sirens to operate.

In the end, aldermen voted to take Bradford’s request under advisement, but not before several aldermen gave him an earful about the county telling them no when their cooperation was sought from the city.

“As everybody is aware, our outdoor warning sirens have not been operational for three or four months,” Bradford said. “The reason for that is because the radio system when they were first installed is no longer available to carry that system. If anybody knows about computers and phones, you know you have to upgrade regularly and that’s where we are right now.”

Bradford said four emergency sirens are located within the Natchez city limits. Fourteen are located in the county, outside the city’s borders.

He said the four oldest sirens are those in the city, which he said date back possibly to World War II. Bradford said the county’s sirens were upgraded “in the 2,000s.”

“Our elderly citizens want to hear those sirens,” Bradford said. “And we have a lot of tourists who come in and they do know what those warning sirens mean.”

He said the cost of upgrading the software for the city’s four sirens would be “between $12,000 and $13,000.”

Ward 3 Alderwoman Sarah Carter-Smith began the discussion by asking Bradford why the county is asking the city for help paying for the siren upgrades.

“This is normally funded by the general fund in the county, and you don’t come to us for funding,” Carter-Smith said. “Our residents pay county taxes, as well as city taxes.”

She said the city has been helpful on a number of county projects, like the one under way on Morgantown Road, in which the city redirected funds from its project to raise Silver Street. The city put that project on hold and instead, earmarked the money for the Morgantown Road project.

“When we have asked for help with workforce development, we have been told no, so it’s frustrating for us,” Carter-Smith said.

Ward 2 Alderman Billie Joe Frazier asked why the four older sirens in the city have not been replaced while all of the county’s sirens are newer ones.

Bradford said once grant money is available, the city’s sirens will be upgraded. He said the cost of new sirens is approximately $40,000 each.

Ward 1 Alderwoman Valencia Hall criticized the lack of communication with the city about the inoperable sirens.

“We did not know they were not working. I asked the mayor to investigate why that is. No one communicated with the city that the sirens were not working,” Hall said.

Bradford took responsibility for that and apologized for the oversight.

Ward 6 Alderman Curtis Moroney said should the aldermen agree to help fund the new siren software, city residents would be paying twice.

“Everybody within the county pays county taxes. Then, the city residents also are paying city taxes. So, the city residents would be paying twice. The city residents through their county taxes are already paying their share of the sirens,” Moroney said. “It’s the county’s responsibility and everybody in the city is already paying their county taxes to pay for the sirens. I wonder how the city residents are going to feel about that. We don’t have this in our budget. We are going to have to find the money, but how will our constituents feel about that?”

Ward 4 Alderwoman Felicia Bridgewater-Irving agreed aldermen need to find out how city residents would feel about the issue.

“We need to run it in our newspapers and get the opinion of our citizens. Everybody wants safety…We need to ask our constituents about this,” she said.

Bradford said the county is going ahead and purchasing the system “because time is of the essence…What I’m asking for is a reimbursement. We are going to get it done…I believe in safety.”

Carter-Smith made a motion to take the issue under advisement, “pending confirmation from the county that they can afford to pay this. Obviously, if the county cannot pay, we will try to help.”

The motion passed unanimously.

“I’m being honest with you…As a board member, we have been helping the county on a lot of projects, but when we come to the county asking something from them, it’s no,” Frazier said to Bradford. “I don’t think it’s fair to the citizens, but as a board, we are going to do what is best for the safety of our citizens.”

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