Natchez aldermen are wise to be slightly wary of an idea Mayor Butch Brown proposed.

Earlier this month, Brown sought the aldermen’s support in luring a new hotel to Natchez.

On its surface, that’s a great thing from the city’s perspective.

With the recent closure of the historic Natchez Eola and the upcoming city’s tricentennial celebration in 2016, Natchez could potentially use a few more hotel rooms.

Additional rooms might generate more sales tax, property tax and provide a boost to the city’s economy.

It all sounded good, again on the surface.

Aldermen, however, wanted details before throwing support behind a plan that would provide $700,000 in tax-increment financing through the city.

Brown has a tendency to gloss over details instead of pointing out the big picture — new hotel equals a good thing for the city.

But what the mayor didn’t immediately point out is that a potential location for the hotel would be on property he personally owns, and thus he would likely make a profit off the deal if the land were sold.

The mayor having private property and private business dealings isn’t a bad thing. In fact, having a mayor who is heavily invested in the future of Natchez and has a business mind is a very good thing.

What isn’t good, however, is when it appears the mayor is using his public office to garner support for something in which he’d personally benefit, particularly if that small, but important, fact isn’t front and center in any such conversation.

Brown knows better than to do that, and fortunately, the aldermen do, too.