The Selma City Council and Mayor James Perkins Jr. have started off the new year in a old way.

They are up to their

tricks, where arguing and political posturing take the place of actually taking care of the people’s business.

In a meeting marathon of four and a half hours, the city council only managed to dispatch of a couple of issues.

Compare that to the Dallas County Commission, under the charge of newly-elected Probate Judge Kim Ballard who chaired his first meeting. In just under an hour, the commission took care of at least 10 items of business, and said good-bye to Emergency Management director Brett Howard.

During Monday night’s city meeting, Councilwoman Bennie Ruth Crenshaw said all the disagreement is making her despondent and “people are actually tired of this.”

Crenshaw is certainly on target with that assessment. Her solution is for more of the discussion to take place during work sessions, clearing the way for business to be conducted during the council’s meetings.

But our council and mayor can’t even agree on work sessions.

The mayor called his own work session, something that the city council should do. And, of course, city council members are not obligated to attend these “unofficial” work sessions

called by the mayor.

The solution is for the council to hold a regularly scheduled work session the Thursday before each Monday meeting, something they have done in the past.

It should be the city council’s call.

The mayor should cooperate and allow the people he’s hired to do their jobs.

The people are watching and should comment publicly.