Yet again, Natchez’s tourism leadership is at an impasse.

After months of fishing for a new director of tourism, and at least a week or so of bickering over the details of that position, Natchez city leaders were poised to announce the city’s new tourism director Tuesday.

The plan would be to announce the great catch they’d made.

Only right as the catch made its way to the side of the boat, the catch wriggled its way off the hook and swam away.

The leading candidate for the city’s director of tourism position turned down the city’s employment offer.

While the candidate appeared to be too gracious to say as much, clearly the confusion and debate over to whom the director of tourism answers was a factor in the decision.

Just days before the formal job interviews of the finalists, the city was still debating whether the person would answer to city aldermen or the Natchez Convention Promotion Commission.

If the candidate had reservations about the exact details of the position and lines of authority, who could blame the person? For years and years, the person in charge of the Natchez Convention and Visitor Bureau effectively wore two hats, answering to both the city’s mayor and aldermen and to the CVB board, also known as the Natchez Convention Promotion Commission.

That structure has proven inefficient and confusing. It was a contributing factor that led to the departure of the last head of tourism earlier this year.

Given that the city must reset itself, perhaps city leaders would consider dividing up the role so the dual-hate duties are more clearly divided.

The city should allow the Natchez Convention Promotion Commission to hire whoever they want to lead the city’s convention and visitor bureau.  Another person — perhaps with some additional downtown development responsibilities — could handle the city’s office of tourism, answering directly to the board of aldermen and the mayor and serving as a liaison between the various other tourism groups in the city.