The cast of characters is all set, and all that’s left now is for the curtain to go up on June 5.

Natchez’s municipal election is a dramatic production that is, quite literally, played out in real life.

The scene is Natchez.

The timeframe is present day.

And, we hope, that’s where the drama and acting end.

Too often, elections become filled with mud-slinging and accusations, but lack true character development.

Candidates should focus their attention on character development — tell voters why you’re the best candidate, not why your opponent isn’t.

Lay out the city’s plot as you’d like to see it over the next four years and, more importantly, how you’ll see to that plot having a happy ending.

Campaigns are important, but so is having a plan and a vision for what you seek after the election show is over.

We know some of the candidates have both, and we fear some others do not.

Natchez is in desperate need of leaders who can work well with each other and, find common ground across all of the silly things that tend to divide us — race, economics, politics and even school allegiances.

Natchez needs to work together to get progress moving in the right direction.

In the last decade, our community has lost thousands of jobs and the people who filled those jobs.

It’s critical that our team be stacked with talented players who can make the show not only go on, but be a blockbuster worthy of our great community.