The City of Natchez can’t move fast enough on the hiring of an accountant in the city clerk’s office; it’s an overdue need.

Luckily, the process is under way and nearing a conclusion, Mayor Butch Brown said.

Unanswered questions about the city’s finances have lingered for far too long. Poking and prodding by some aldermen led to the purchase of new accounting software, but then leaders realized no one knew how to adequately work the program.

Pokes and prods from aldermen still resulted in more unanswered questions.

Brown’s plan to have a professional handling the numbers is a must, and eventually the city should move toward having an appointed city clerk who meets such professional job qualifications.

Since the department currently has an elected leader, the mayor’s move to bring in the expertise is the best option.

We hope the city gets that accountant in place quickly and works diligently to hold that person accountable for providing answers to the mayor, aldermen and local citizens.

After that, Natchezians want to see many of the forms and information currently only available at the clerk’s office available in electronic formats and online.

It’s time to not only catch up, but get ahead.