Natchez and Adams County came a step closer Thursday to becoming home to a new 50-job plant.

Metal fabrication company Venco signed on the dotted line with county officials on a deal to put a facility at the Adams County Port.

It’s good news for the entire Miss-Lou, as the jobs are good-paying and could even expand in future years.

Venco also would bring more stability to the port, which has struggled after the closing of the International Paper mill. The county was right to continue its support for this valuable economic asset.

The new deal reminds us that economic development will remain among the most important issues &045;&045; if not the most important issue &045;&045; in the upcoming municipal elections.

Both in Natchez and in towns across the river, candidates for mayor and aldermen positions need to let voters know their specific goals for attracting new industries and jobs to our area.

We appreciate optimistic language, but we also want to hear detailed plans &045;&045; whether it’s raising new money for our economic development efforts, developing new contacts or continuing support of our current structure.

Voters need to hear solid plans for the future, and they need to let candidates know what they want to see for our community’s future.

As more candidates make formal announcements about their campaigns, we’ll continue to ask about their vision &045;&045; and how they plan to carry it out.