Almost every good neighborhood block has a “cool” house. They are the ones to which all the neighborhood children tend to magnetically gravitate.

It just makes sense that children can seem to pool resources together in the effort to have a good time.

If local government entities were like neighborhood houses, Natchez would be the most popular one on the block.

Few people would argue that all roads in the Miss-Lou ultimately lead to Natchez. It’s quite true.

While it might be possible to live and work completely outside the city limits of Natchez, it’s probably not practical.

Getting into Natchez requires using the city’s streets.

Upkeep of the streets, however, is largely paid out of the city’s budget. Adams County residents certainly pay sales tax on goods purchased within the city limits.

But a portion of those taxes go for other city services to which non-residents benefit, too. Included among those would be police protection within the city limits, recreation and so forth.

But under the current system of city-county governments, sometimes our public dollars do not necessarily go to the biggest need, and certainly not in the most efficient manner.

Potholes and crumbling streets aggravate drivers, bicyclists and people pushing baby strollers and wheel chairs alike.

A better, fairer, way to distribute the tax dollars of our residents exists.

The first step might include annexing more of the edges of Natchez, but ultimately, city and county residents should seriously look at consolidating city and county government. It’s the most logical way to spend your dollars where the largest need is.

Serious study of the feasibility of consolidation needs to take place, soon.

Even the neighborhood children can see the logic in pooling resources for the most bang for the buck.