All too often, we think of the phrase “good government” as an oxymoron — a compound contradictory of sorts — but Natchez and Adams County can provider county taxpayers with a great example of good government in the coming days.

New Natchez Police Chief Walter Armstrong wisely saw as he assessed his new department a misallocation of city resources, namely money.

Armstrong noticed the city spends approximately $250,000 per year to keep the city jail operating, despite having only six overnight inmates per day, on average.

The quick math there means each inmate is costing the city approximately $114 per day.

Armstrong further said that money could be spent more efficiently, providing city and county taxpayers a better value if the city’s inmates are simply housed in the county jail, which typically has more than enough room.

The county seeks only $30 per inmate per day, thus saving more than $180,000 a year in the process.

Although the discussion Monday was heated at times, in the end the county supervisors, county sheriff and the police chief appear to be close to finding a solution that works for all.

Housing city inmates at the county jail just makes good sense and the money being saved should be invested back into the men and women who work for the city’s police and fire departments.

All involved would be wise to continue to set personal concerns and agendas aside and work together to get this plan finalized soon.