As we wind down to the final days before Tuesday’s Democratic runoff, the campaigning heats up between candidates vying for both Natchez’s mayor and city clerk’s positions.

And, we urge voters to once again look beyond politics — beyond the anti-anyone vote — to qualifications and job requirements.

Incumbent mayor Larry L. &uot;Butch&uot; Brown remains our recommendation for the mayoral race over his opponent, F.L. &uot;Hank&uot; Smith.

As we said in our original endorsement, while his focused, driven personality may not suit everyone’s tastes, Brown has proven to be an effective mayor in Natchez. And that is what our city needs at this time.

Natchez has made progress — there’s never enough progress, we admit — during Brown’s term in office. And it’s those same sometimes controversial characteristics — determination, drive, conviction and vision — that are the hallmarks of an effective leader.

By ducking away from debates or difficult questions, Hank Smith has sent a strong message — and one we can’t condone. We cannot –&160;and will not — endorse a candidate who refuses to attend both a public candidate’s forum and meetings with the newspaper’s editorial board. We firmly believe that elected officials must be community leaders — and that means being responsive and open to the public, along with being accountable to the public.

If elected, he would not be able to avoid those difficult questions or situations — he would be thrust into the middle of them and expected to think on his feet and lead others through the difficulty, without the luxury of preparing written responses to written questions.

The voters of Natchez deserved the chance to see how Mr. Smith would handle those situations — before the election. And, once the initial primary passed and the campaign issues heated up, Smith never gave the voters that chance.

In the city clerk’s race, we again endorse Donnie Holloway. His opponent, Dr. Fredericka Todd, is a viable candidate and a strong campaigner, but in this race to select a Democratic nominee we believe Holloway could bring a more effective approach to doing the work of the clerk’s office — from keeping the books and balancing accounts to processing the public’s requests and managing the employees.

Ultimately, the votes cast on Tuesday will play a critical role in shaping the leadership of Natchez for the next four years. We believe each vote is crucial, and we encourage everyone to vote. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.