County officials and department heads have a &uot;bitter pill&uot; ahead as they try to balance a budget with up to an $800,000 shortfall for the coming year.

And that could mean the rest of us have a bitter pill to swallow, too. Whether it comes in the form of reduced services or even a tax increase, Adams County residents will likely be affected by this shortfall as well.

But that loss of revenue is not something that surprises county officials, and it should not surprise residents, either. We knew about the loss of several industries even before International Paper, the toughest of the closures, ceased operations here last year.

We certainly hope county officials will be able to find the cuts necessary to make up the shortfall without resorting to a tax increase &045;&045; and we urge them to avoid it if possible.

But this budget crunch simply adds more fuel to our urgent need for more jobs. Our economic development officials are working every day to attract new industries, but this won’t happen overnight.

We have to remember that although some sacrifices may lie ahead, we cannot lose sight of our goals as a community. Working together is the only way we will get there.

Concession statement shows graciousness and strength

Politics is not the sort of business in which graciousness often resides, but outgoing Natchez alderwoman and mayoral candidate Sue Stedman proves it is alive and well.

In conceding an extremely close race to Phillip West, Stedman easily showed why she garnered so much of the vote and why she was such a strong candidate: &uot;Now is the time for all citizens to join together, put aside differences and work together for a better future for us all.&uot;

We will certainly miss Stedman’s work on the Board of Aldermen but know she will continue to work hard for Natchez, whether in her private business or in her civic life.