If the City of Natchez were receiving a school letter grade for its management of public properties, the report card delivered Tuesday night would contain an F mark.

The question taxpayers must ask: Is continuing down this familiar path acceptable?

On Tuesday the city announced plans to apply for a grant to help it make much needed repairs to one of the city’s fire stations.

City leaders outlined the current condition of the 40-year-old station as practically being in a third-world state — water intrusion along with rodent infestation as well as bird droppings in the attic causing potential health risks for firefighters.

All of Natchez, but especially city and fire department leaders, should be ashamed that we have allowed the people we call on when lives and property are at risk to work in such conditions.

We applaud Magnolia Bluffs Casino President Kevin Preston for suggesting the city reallocate a portion of the casino-provided community development fund to purchase new beds and other furniture for firefighters.

That’s a good Band-Aid to the greater problem.

The city’s population has shrunk during the last 20 to 30 years, but the city’s structure remains largely as it was three decades ago.

The situation with the firehouse is yet another example in which the city needs to rethink how public services work.

We’ve long suggested the city and county government would be more effective and efficient if they joined forces. The fire station situation is yet another reminder that our community would be wise to merge government resources. The most logical would be to allow the county to handle law enforcement through the sheriff’s office and the city fire protection.

The savings in reducing upper management and overlapping duties could easily be reapplied to make working conditions better for the first responders in our community.