Hurry up and wait … and wait … and wait. That’s what taxpayers in Natchez and Adams County must do to see much-needed changes take place in the floundering Economic Development Authority.

The Adams County Board of Supervisors and the Natchez Mayor and Board of Aldermen have both approved the draft of a local-private bill which would restructure the joint city-county agency.

But despite what officials might hope for, the likelihood that lawmakers will consider the bill during an Aug. 28 special session is slim. And that means we’ll have to wait until the regular session of the Mississippi Legislature – which convenes in January 2001 – for the much-needed authorization to be approved.

In the meantime, our EDA ticks away towards the two-year mark without a full-time director; its 15-member board continues to be cumbersome and less-than-optimally efficient; and politicians, office-holders and everyday citizens are echoing the often heard call for &uot;more jobs&uot; in our community.

While we’re glad the city and county leaders have finally reached a compromise on the structuring of the board, it’s just a shame that the compromise took so long. This is an issue that should have been resolved before the 2000 Legislative session earlier this year.

Instead, thanks to political posturing, we’ve been spinning our economic development wheels for more than half a year … and the chances are we’ll keep spinning those wheels, until early 2001.

What can we do? The EDA board can begin a serious search for a permanent director, using the resources of a professional recruiting firm to help us find a qualified, effective and proven professional.

And we can wait …