Natchez aldermen have wasted precious time and political capital on an issue they never should have been involved with in the first place.

The hiring of former police officer Willie B. Jones divided the board of aldermen and aroused suspicions of political payback.

Jones, who resigned amid a bribery investigation seven years ago, was rehired by the board despite warnings from their city attorney that the hiring was against the law.

Now the State Board of Law Enforcement Standards and Training has decided Jones is not certified as an officer. That should have been the end of the story: Like it or not, Jones isn’t allowed to serve, and he should be let go.

Yet somehow this story lives on. This week Jones was made an assistant code enforcement officer for the city’s planning department while the board waits until its next meeting on Tuesday to decide what to do with his employment.

That move raises too many questions &045; and too many suspicions.

Why do city officials continue to try to find this one man a job?

This started as a simple case of the board’s overstepping its bounds, and some city officials have continued to trip over that line. This move hurts the city’s credibility and integrity.

We believe the city should be focused on other issues. We have a lot to celebrate as the last eight miles of the Natchez Trace Parkway opens tomorrow. We have a lot to work toward as the city continues to lobby for $10 million in bonds that would help revitalize downtown.

We do not need an issue like this hiring to continue to divide the board of aldermen and the city.

This shouldn’t be about race or politics or power struggles.

The fact of the matter is the board of aldermen overstepped their bounds, and it’s time to right the wrong and move on.