Five of the six Natchez aldermen demonstrated their poor fiscal responsibility at Tuesday’s meeting.

Despite continuing economic tightness — locally and at the state level — five of our elected leaders opted to give select city employees a pay raise.

First, the issue is not whether or not the city employees deserve a pay increase; the issue is: Can the City of Natchez afford it?

Dispatchers and jailers at the Natchez Police Department and workers in the city’s traffic department received raises. No other city employees were discussed.

Only one intelligent, fiscally sound voice was heard on the board, that of Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis.

“We are not out of the woods yet,” she said.

City Clerk Donnie Holloway — whose office is in charge of doling out city funds and often takes the brunt of public financial scrutiny — also warned against spending additional funds.

Seemingly a lack of fiscal understanding may be to blame. The pay raises were discounted with the explanation that one pay raise would not affect the department’s budget and the other would come from the salary of a position that was eliminated.

The “budget” is simply a plan. It’s a number on paper or a file on a computer.

The budget is not cash.

Cash is what the city needs.

A lack of cash recently drove the city reluctantly to vote again to borrow money to pay its bills. Last month the city admitted to having to borrow $375,000 in the first two months of the new fiscal year, just to make ends meet.

The budget, however, probably looked great.

The city needs to focus on saving and preserving cash. Period. No exceptions until the economy improves — significantly.