The Natchez-Adams School Board is the latest public body to face a difficult task as members sit down to budget this summer.

Like the Adams County Board of Supervisors, the school board is working with less money this time around, mainly because of state budget cuts. But board members have pledged &045;&045; in the words of Chairman Norris Edney &045;&045; to &uot;face the budget and step into it.&uot;

That could mean asking the county supervisors for a tax increase to make up for the shortfall, which includes an unfunded state-mandated teacher pay raise.

It’s a frustrating position for schools, and not just those in Adams County. The state is pushing school districts to use their &uot;rainy day&uot; funds, but Adams County had already pledged its fund for projects such as building upkeep. Still, the district may have to dip into that money to fund operations.

As our community continues to struggle in the wake of job cuts and plant closings, we know that all of us &045;&045; public officials and private citizens &045;&045; are being asked to do more with less.

We hope that everyone will approach the process fairly and calmly. We all need to be prepared to make sacrifices in order to keep our community going.

City needs to make sure sign project follows regulations

The City of Natchez has partnered with a private New York company on a project to sell sponsorships for welcome banners throughout the community. The company will also provide a tourist video for the city.

It sounds on the surface like a good idea, but we encourage the city to make sure all the t’s are crossed and the i’s dotted on this project. For one thing, the banners may not even meet the city’s own sign ordinance or the state’s laws for signs on rights-of-way. We welcome welcome signs, but let’s make sure they follow our own regulations and laws.