Ferriday’s utter lack of leadership never ceases to amaze us.

Years have passed since the town’s decrepit water system was identified as being a source of huge problems that led to months and months of boil-water notices for the town.

This week, we learned the town still isn’t adequately shutting off water service to residents who aren’t paying their bills.

The town’s leadership must get over the belief that city services are some kind of privilege. Clearly, the town had no business charging much for the dirty water they provided for years, but now that they’re trying to get their act in order, it’s time to pay up or turn off the flow.

We applaud the town council and the mayor for promising to begin enforcing its own rules, but good grief, it’s late in coming.

Of course, paying bills isn’t something the town itself apparently does well either.

At the very same meeting Tuesday during which the town’s leaders talked about enforcing the no-pay, no-water rule, the town suggested it couldn’t pay a court judgment for chemicals it once used in its water plant.

The $125,000 judgment should be paid off fully before either the mayor or members of the council are paid for their services.

To do anything different is to hold the residents the leaders represent to a higher standard than they hold themselves.