Later this week, Natchez aldermen are expected to discuss the future of the city’s engineering needs.

Ten years ago former City Engineer David Gardner resigned from the city post he held for 12 years to assume leadership over the Natchez Water Works.

The move seemed a good one at the time for Gardner in that it removed him from the direct oversight of the city’s mayor and board of aldermen.

Aldermen frequently and verbally attacked Gardner in public over what were presumably silly things at the time.

No sooner than Gardner’s resignation was finalized in 2005 did the city realize just how many balls he was juggling. They quickly scurried to solve the problem and came up with the idea of having the city contract with Gardner’s new employer, Natchez Water Works, to provide engineering services.

At the time, it was also touted as a way of saving the city money as well.

Some city leaders have been unhappy with the arrangement since the beginning — presumably at least in part because as a contractor Gardner was not beholden to political pressures.

Tuesday, aldermen are expected to discuss plans to take the money currently allocated to the Natchez Water Works’ engineering contract and use a portion to expand the city’s public works department and contract out additional engineering services as needed.

We hope aldermen can provide taxpayers with good, believable data to show an approximation of what the change will do to — and for — city taxpayers.

For too long the City of Natchez has operated on “thoughts and beliefs” and needs to focus more on facts and figures.