For a few years now, the City of Natchez has struggled with the basics of budgeting and cash management.

Some years aldermen simply rubberstamped the previous year’s budget rather than reworking a new one when a new fiscal year rolled around.

That’s a sign of either ignorance in the basic principles of budgeting or laziness.

To their credit, the current aldermen seemed, at least at first, to dig into the budget in greater detail. But in the end, logic seems to be missing from many of their decisions on what to cut.

For example, the city agreed to fire the grants coordinator, that news was leaked from City Hall, then after public outcry over the termination, the city took an about face and said, “No, she’s not terminated.”

She has since resigned.

Days later, the city announced the virtual gutting of the city’s planning department, divvying up the most basic of planning functions to other departments — including the engineering department.

Since our current city structure seems to struggle with financial matters, perhaps we’re asking too much from them.

Perhaps we should consider placing the basic management of the city and its budget in the hands of an appointed business manager or city manager, rather than political animals.

One could argue, however, that we’re quickly putting the city’s future in the hands of a competent city manager in the form of City Engineer David Gardner, who already leads engineering, water works and now parts of public works, planning and zoning, too.

We fully trust Gardner can handle the tasks at hand, but only if the city aldermen keep their hands out of his business.

That’s something that’s proven difficult for them, especially a few of them who simply like to play politics with their own pet projects.

The more aldermen keep their hands out of the day-to-day management, the better off Natchez will be.