Rarely is “losing” something a good thing, but the City of Natchez’s recent announcement that it failed to secure a community development block grant may be a blessing in disguise.

The city planned to use the grant funds to help pay for a $930,000 satellite senior center.

The challenge with that plan is two-fold.

First, aside from, perhaps, a handful of people at City Hall few city taxpayers seem to think an additional senior center is necessary.

Why build something when we have one already? The city already struggles to keep up with maintenance issues on its public properties.

Second, the grant required the city come up with nearly half a million dollars as its match to the grant.

Good grief, the city most recently had a budget that showed a general fund deficit. Why on earth would the city spend more money to build a building that it may not need and that it would struggle to afford, let alone maintain?

The city would be best served by focusing on making the core city services better before further expanding ancillary ones. When the police and fire departments are back in top-notch order, well equipped and well paid and the streets are all in good order, then the city should revisit such projects, but not before.