Natchez city leaders wisely hit the reset button Tuesday in reconsidering who is best equipped to provide legal advice to the city.

Aldermen Tuesday split 3-3 on a decision to rescind the appointment of former city attorney Everett Sanders as the board’s primary legal counsel.

Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell, who vehemently opposed Sanders’ appointment publicly when it was made earlier this month, broke the tie.

Sanders’ original appointment came just hours after the aldermen were sworn into office with virtually no formal vetting of prospective attorneys by the board as a whole.

Neither Grennell, who had publicly tapped another attorney for the position, nor the aldermen who supported Sanders, worked together to choose the best person for the job.

Instead each side had its own pick and hoped others would go along with it. The resulting rushed decision has caused weeks of counterproductive bickering.

Perhaps only freshman Ward 5 Alderman Ben Davis had the wherewithal to admit a well-considered decision was not possible on the day of the original vote. He abstained from voting on that day and this week had the courage to stand up for what he felt was the right decision. He voted to rescind the original vote.

We applaud Davis, Grennell and others for working hard to find a way to provide the board an opportunity to reconsider this important matter.

The public has seen what a mess decisions made out of the public eye and without consensus can cause.

Aldermen should publicly work through the list of potential candidates and discuss their strengths and weaknesses so citizens can be informed and involved during the selection process.