In the end, it comes down to leadership. For the past four years, Natchez has been lacking leadership, but on Tuesday, we have the chance to elect a mayor who could help put Natchez back on track.

Independent Richard Branyan, Republican Sue Stedman and Democrat Phillip West will be on the ballot Tuesday. Whoever wins a plurality of votes wins the race; no runoff is held for the general election.

A month ago when we made our endorsement in the Democratic primary, we believed the entire slate of candidates for mayor was a weak field. But after digging deeper into the issues and meeting face to face again with each of the candidates, we believe two of the people left in the race have the ability to be a good mayor to lead Natchez into the future.

Richard Branyan, while his insistence on making tourism a major issue is admirable, simply lacks the experience and, we feel, the leadership ability necessary to take control of the mayor’s office and lead the city. But we encourage him to continue his involvement in city issues and pursue a further career in politics. His knowledge of tourism is an asset to the community and his campaign has brought important issues to light that otherwise may have gone unaddressed.

Which leaves us with two candidates, Stedman and West. Choosing between them is difficult because in many ways they are evenly matched. Where one gains an edge on one issue or area of expertise, the other has more experience or better ideas in another.

So our endorsement process becomes one in which we analyze each issue and each candidate’s position and pick the candidate we believe can best achieve what must be done for Natchez’s future.

We need a mayor who will make economic development the top priority, with specific plans and goals for our community. The political platitude &uot;I want to bring jobs to Natchez&uot; does not begin to touch the surface of what truly must be done to improve our economy. We need a mayor who will be a partner with the Natchez-Adams County Economic Development Authority and work to establish relationships with officials and corporate leaders who can help bring jobs.

We need a mayor who will bring back pride in our community by cleaning up our streets and building better infrastructure. Such projects take careful planning of resources &045;&045; and using relationships with outside sources for help.

We need a mayor who will have a vision for Natchez backed by careful action plans for the various projects we need accomplished &045;&045; some of which will require thinking outside the box. Our city’s leadership needs to set priorities and work a plan for improvement and growth.

4We need a mayor who can create a team among aldermen and among department heads, who can inspire those partners to follow the same vision for our community.

We need a mayor who can unify the diverse people and groups in Natchez to work toward the same goals.

We need a mayor who will do what is right, regardless of what is popular or politically prudent. Being mayor of a community like Natchez is a constant balancing act, and we will need someone who can listen to a variety of opinions and influences and make tough decisions.

Both Stedman and West are experienced leaders with strong political skills. Both have a great love for Natchez and have begun making careful plans for the community’s future.

Both candidates scored well on our list of key issues and ideal qualifications. Both would inject leadership and imagination to fill the void of the past four years.

But what gives one candidate the edge is an intangible quality: that &uot;fire in the belly&uot; to be a strong, inspiring leader.

Our endorsement, then, goes to Phillip West, a candidate who has demonstrated leadership that produces results. We believe he has the ability to listen to many different opinions &045;&045; and do what is difficult, when the time comes &045;&045; to make Natchez better.

Some questioned our endorsement of West in the Democratic primary because of what can best be described as his controversial past. West found controversy by leading, by facing issues and taking stands that were unpopular but, in many cases, right. And that is type of leadership we need.

We have not always agreed with West on all issues, with tort reform as one example. Last week, West dropped his mayoral campaigning and drove to Jackson to make a key vote to send the issue back to the conference table. In the end, that turned out to be a good decision. The House and Senate passed a better piece of tort reform legislation that makes sense.

In the final analysis, West brings good ideas and a good approach to most issues. And he brings an intangible sense of urgency and drive to act on the problems we face as a community.

Ward 3 alderman

Receiving much less attention over the past few weeks but also an important race is the Ward 3 alderman election.

Republican Bob Pollard and Democrat D.D. Smith are vying for the position left open by Sue Stedman as she campaigns for mayor.

Our endorsement goes to Pollard, a candidate with a good background in the forestry industry and an infectious enthusiasm for Natchez. We believe he would make a good choice for the open alderman seat.