Stumbling blocks to a recreation plan boil down into disagreements over the site’s location and how to fund the facility.

City leaders are watching the Mississippi Municipal League’s plans to lobby the legislature for the ability to earmark a sales tax increase to a specific local project, like a recreation complex.

Mayor Jake Middleton says a 1-percent sales tax increase would generate enough money to pay for such a facility in only a few short years.

It’s only a single penny on every dollar spent, but on an already 7-percent base sales tax, the increase is a 14-percent one over the current tax rate.

We’ve said all along that Natchez residents need higher quality recreation facilities.

But the city needs to be extremely careful before instituting a new tax.

Before any such plan should be considered, city leaders should have a detailed plan of what they propose to build. The plan needs public approval and involvement to gain the confidence and support of taxpayers.

As a final step, the city’s administration must show the moves it has made to streamline government and save taxpayer money.

Whether that’s through reducing unnecessary use of city vehicles or merging departments together, we’re convinced money can be saved with proper management and attention to detail.

Until all of those steps are completed, finding support for a new tax is going to be difficult, and we’ll have another year with lots of talk but little action on the recreation issue.