YAZOO CITY, Miss. (WJTV) – The Yazoo County Board of Mayor and Aldermen is hesitant to put up $300,000 for a sidewalk grant that they believe could be better used for roads.

The Yazoo Herald reported the city’s previous administration approved a grant from the Mississippi Department of Transportation for sidewalks. However, the city has to match 20% of the grant, which is about $300,000.

The remainder of the project calls for the construction of sidewalks on the east side of Lamar Avenue from Second Street to Fifteenth Street and a short section of Sixth Street and Martin Luther King Drive.

Mayor David Starling said the project will create a “hornet’s nest” of people’s yards that will be disturbed. Alderman Charlie Jenkins added that people call about streets, not sidewalks. He said the money would pay for many Yazoo City streets.

Board Attorney Lilli Evans-Bass said she would find out if there are penalties or prevention of future grant applications if the city pulls out of the sidewalk project.

According to the newspaper, the board will address the issue again once Evans-Bass has her findings.