After weeks of leaving many of us wondering if a City of Natchez cost reduction plan existed, Mayor Jake Middleton started talking publicly about his plans last week and so far we like what we’re hearing.

And we suspect taxpayers will, too.

Middleton outlined a plan of reducing the leadership positions at the public works department, moving leadership responsibilities to the engineering department. The results that we’ve seen — more visible projects worked and more public areas cleaned up — seem to indicate this was a smart decision.

Further, he’s severely cut the planning department — a move he swears will be temporary. Although we believe terminating nearly the entire department may not have been the best way to handle personnel issues there, ultimately if the result is a streamlined planning office, the city will be better off.

In addition, Middleton cast the tie-breaking vote last week to privatize grass cutting at several of the city’s parks. That move seems like a smart decision, saving a good bit of taxpayer money.

The budget-savings plan even includes considering buying used parts to fix vehicles when such parts can be found at significant discounts to brand new ones. That, too, is a smart move.

It’s nice to see that the city may in fact be on a better road to getting its finances in shape than we previously realized. We just wish we’d been able to hear the clear details weeks ago when the cuts first began.

Hopefully, the mayor will continue to keep the city’s taxpayers informed. An open government communicating with its citizenry is what our community needs, especially when money is tight.