Natchez-Adams School Board members batted the ball to the court of city and county leaders this week by deeding over property slated for a community swimming pool project.

City and county leaders asked for the property deed in order to expedite re-bidding the project, the cost of which came in massively higher than original estimates.

In doing so, elected leaders were taking control out of the hands of the city-county recreation commission that was formed to improve recreation.

Our concern regarding the pool project remains two-fold.

First, if the project’s scope is not changed, the bids may not come in significantly cheaper. Recreation commission members have said splitting the project into two parts could lower costs when the project is re-bid.

We hope that’s true, but the amount of savings needed to come in under budget was substantial — approximately $700,000.

Our second concern comes from what is almost inevitable with city and county leaders more directly involved in the project — politics.

The entire purpose for creating the recreation commission was to de-politicize the process and get city and county efforts combined. That was accomplished, though it took much work.

As the project moves forward, if history is any indication, a few of the public egos involved may struggle to keep their own agendas out of the process.

We urge city and county leaders, as they take the next step in the process and seek bids, to keep everything involved as transparent as possible and not to lose focus on the project’s intent.