Watching the Natchez mayor and board of aldermen recently has reminded me of a certain defensive play in soccer called the &8220;wall.&8221;

The strategy, used to prevent the opposite team from making an easy goal, is to line up two to six players pressed together shoulder to shoulder.

By creating a wall with their bodies, these players limit the amount of open space to goal, therefore reducing the odds that a free kick will score.

But the trick is to just stand there &8212; not say a word, not flinch.

This is not an easy thing.

If anything, this puts players in a, well, exposed position. With their arms extended they protect the more vulnerable parts of their bodies while anticipating a ball hurtling at them at close to 80 mph.

Young players first learning the game, have a tendency to duck or spin around and take the ball in the back. They quickly discover that any reaction can create an opening, that the ball has an uncanny way of finding.

One small opening can lead to a big goal for the opponent.

Well, in the last months the mayor and aldermen have become masters of their own brand of the &8220;wall&8221; defense.

Like pro soccer players, the city leaders have stood arm in arm defending their actions with nothing more than silence and blanks stares.

This strategy has been put into play in numerous instances.

Take the controversy over their own pay raises, for example.

Natchez resident, Casey Hughes, came to a regular session of the board to ask city leaders if raising their pay on June 27 was done legally.

The answer? Complete silence.

Using the &8220;wall&8221; strategy, the board decided that the best answer was no answer at all.

Even the three aldermen who voted against the raise refused to respond.

Score one for the aldermen.

Now using the same strategy, but different tactic, the aldermen have created another wall concerning the budget.

This time, the wall has been created out of a lack of information. Standing as one, the board have decided they haven&8217;t had enough time to adequately review the budget.

Because the budget is to be passed by next Friday, the aldermen have decided to pass a similar budget to this year&8217;s, including their own pay raises.

They&8217;ll just make changes to the budget later, they say.

So when the public meets to discuss the budget Thursday, what will they have to discuss? If aldermen are going to make whatever changes they see fit afterward, what is the point of discussion in the first place? What is the point of approving a budget that the board has already said they are going to change?

The problem with these tactics is that they presuppose an us-vs.-them attitude about leadership. It assumes that city leaders are on a different team than the people they are supposed to serve.

Controversy after controversy, the mayor and board of aldermen have decided it is either their way or no way at all &8212; effectively building walls of arrogance.

Many times, they say that despite opposition they are doing what is in the best interest of the city.

But is building barriers in our best interest?

Had the mayor and board of aldermen taken a team approach to the proposed condos on the site of the former Natchez Pecan Shelling Company, could we have avoided the legal action the project is in now?

The case is to be decided in court in the next couple of months. If the court decides for the city and the case is appealed to the Supreme Court, the project could be bogged down for a year or more. Such a move could jeopardize the project altogether.

Maybe leaders should look to another playbook.

Ben Hillyer

is the visual editor for The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3552 or

ben.hillyer@natchezdemocrat.com

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