Mayor Butch Brown needs to apologize for rude behavior exhibited Tuesday at the Natchez Board of Aldermen meeting.

Brown, apparently doing his best imitation of Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump, repeatedly tried to cut off a citizen, who had properly gone through the channels to reserve a spot on the agenda and tried to address the city’s aldermen.

The woman was expressing real concerns that some of the city’s long-time tourism leaders have regarding the business practices at the Natchez Convention Center.

Alderwoman Sarah Smith attempted to intervene only to be targeted by Brown’s mouth, too.

For a number of years, the city has contracted the convention center’s management to a New Orleans-based firm. The firm’s principal has said their business dealings have the best interests of the city in mind.

At least some tourism businesses feel differently.

Dissension among our tourism efforts is nothing new, but to simply ignore it or, worse, attempt to belligerently silence an opposing voice is not wise or fair.

Not only should Brown have allowed the woman to speak, he and the aldermen owe it to the tourism community to find out if their concerns are legitimate or not.

The solution is to put everything on the table and talk about it, not talk over each other in an effort to bully the opposition into silence.

Clearly, the recent meltdown of communication, authority and responsibility at the Natchez Convention and Visitors Bureau falls on Brown’s watch. Voters, taxpayers and citizens have good reason to question whether or not what is supposed to be happening actually is.

The group that came before the board raised potentially valid concerns, and both Brown and the aldermen would be wise to close their mouths and open their ears.

If the concerns have merit, let’s resolve the issues or agree that they cannot be resolved. Natchez deserves better than the juvenile behavior and disrespect we’re showing one another right now. We owe one another more.