Alabama got a new city Thursday when residents of the Valley Grande area voted to incorporate.

We want to congratulate residents on their efforts. Putting together an election and a plan to incorporate in the short time frame that took place wasn’t easy. It

took community cooperation and determination to make it happen.

When citizens work together for a common goal and try to build what they think is a better future, this is a positive.

But now that the votes have been counted and the fireworks are over, the real work begins. The new town needs to take

shape and plan a future.

Maybe that future is to simply be an incorporated area, shielded by law from the city of Selma’s annexation reach. Or maybe the plan will be to build a real city with a government and infrastructure.

Those charged with shaping the future have important work ahead of them. We offer the following points as the planning takes place:

Too often government forgets that it is there for a reason &045;&045; to represent the people and operate in the interest of its citizens.

It was the fear of annexation that led to the incorporation election. Those leading any Valley Grande annexation effort should remember how they felt when the city of Selma’s annexation plan was shown to them.

We wish the new city well and look forward to working with a new government.