A petition opposing Vicksburg’s pending $16.9 million bond issue for public works is being circulated with the clock clicking toward a deadline.

If organizers succeed in gathering 1,500 signatures verified to be city voters, a public referendum would be required before city officials could borrow the money.

&#8220We’re still getting names,” said Mary Galtney, president of the Vicksburg Branch of the NAACP, adding she did not know how many signatures had been obtained. The city has 18,282 registered voters.

If a petition is verified, it would be a first in at least 50 years of local history.

On Oct. 3, the Mayor and Aldermen voted unanimously to issue the bonds, triggering a statutory 30-day window for protest. It closes in a week.

The resolution says the borrowed money will fund: