The Town of Ferriday needs a great deal of things. It could use additional economic opportunities. It could use additional community leadership, grounded in good principles.

And it could certainly use a new town water plant — which is in the works.

But two things it doesn’t need reared their heads Tuesday night — dissension and outside pot-stirrers.

Most of us know the problems Ferriday has had with its water plant for generations.

It’s a poor design, it uses a poor source and both the plant and the town’s infrastructure has been horribly managed in the past.

The most recent water challenges are nothing new. They’re inexcusable on many levels, but it appears that the town’s leadership has a solution in the works — plans are set to build a new water plant using USDA grant money.

The new plant solves most of the problems — a better design, a more improved water source and better management. It seems like a no-brainer, but even despite all of the positives of the plan, some of the aldermen have balked at the USDA requirement that an outside management firm be hired. The USDA’s logic is simple: If we’re going to invest millions into the project, we want to make sure professionals manage the investment.

This week, residents came forward furious about the latest round of problems and threatened the town saying, “If you don’t correct the problem, we’re going to come and take it over,” dropping the name of the Rev. Al Sharpton in the process.

If Sharpton can build and manage a water plant more quickly than the USDA can, he’s welcome; otherwise, Ferriday should stick with the plans already in the works.