Vicksburg Housing Authority commissioners approved taking more than $25,000 in past-due accounts off the books Tuesday night at their regular monthly meeting.

About 50 accounts, the oldest dating to 2002, make up the total, said VHA Executive Director Dannie Walker. Most are for unpaid rent by former tenants, but maintenance charges could represent part of the total.

“We are not forgiving them the debt,” he told VHA commissioners. “This is bookkeeping, pure and simple.”

VHA commissioners met Tuesday night to review financial reports, hear updates from Walker on VHA-managed properties and conduct other business. All commissioners except John Ferguson attended.

Writing off projected uncollected debts is a bookkeeping process done periodically to ensure financial statements accurately reflect genuine accounts receivable. In 2010, the VHA went through the process once, but enough old accounts remain on the books that it might be necessary to conduct a second purge this year, Walker said.

“We tried to write off the maximum amount that we had budgeted,” he told commissioners. “We may need to revise that figure later to get some more of these off the books and stop carrying them.”

None of the debts are from current tenants, he said.

“The fact that we are writing off these accounts does not mean we can’t still collect these accounts,” he told commissioners.

Also, those with unpaid VHA rents are logged in a database and aren’t allowed to rent at any other housing authority or federally-assisted property.

In his report to commissioners, Walker said he is watching congressional budget talks in anticipation of possible cuts to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development operating and capital subsidies. It is possible that Congress could enact cuts of 17 to 25 percent, he said.

Current VHA subsidies have been funded only through March 30.

“There is no danger of any programs being stopped or services not being provided,” Walker said, but absorbing cuts could entail some “belt-tightening” and the use of reserve funds.

In other business, the board awarded the bid for renovations and repairs to a property at 203 Winters Lane to Carter’s Construction, Plumbing and Accessories of Indianola, the low bidder at $16,000. Four bids were received and opened Feb. 10.

The commissioners also OK’d meeting minutes from Jan. 18, invoices for January and disposal of 10 irreparable kitchen appliances.

The City of Vicksburg appoints the five VHA commission members who, in turn, hire a director. Funding for the agency, which manages 430 homes and apartments at six subdivisions throughout the city, comes from HUD and rent payments.