The issue: The vote on the bond issue and a public hearing.

Our position: We appreciate Mayor James Perkins Jr.&8217;s willingness to hold another public forum.

Mayor James Perkins Jr. has the right attitude about selling this $12.5 million bond issue: If it takes another forum, then so be it.

The mayor stated Monday night for the record that several forums were held before the Selma City Council voted to allow citizens to vote on the issue Feb. 26.

He&8217;s right. But the meetings were held before the council voted to set an election.

More questions have risen since those meetings in September, and the public will have to decide.

Mayor Perkins has attended many church meetings and service club meetings to spread the word. Some people have had questions that he would have referred to the bond attorneys or other experts.

The mayor asked members of the council to set aside a date to have another forum. He said he would call in the bond attorney, the financial people, department heads, and he would attend.

We appreciate the mayor&8217;s response, and look forward to attending the forum with the rest of the voters in the city.

But the response by some council members dismayed us. We expect all city elected officials to

attend the meeting and talk about why they support or don&8217;t support the bond issue.

Understandably, some council members have held meetings in their own wards, but we encourage this citywide meeting to settle issues and answer questions before election day.