While the national debt remains on the minds of many, there are issues in Selma that need attention.

When U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby visited residents Monday at the St. James Hotel, he began his discussion with the national debt and then talked about other national issues like immigration and healthcare. After his speech, he opened the floor for questions.

Mayor George Evans directly asked Shelby about problems in Selma — like the deteriorating sewer system and poor roads. We applaud our mayor for addressing these issues and letting Shelby know that as a city, we want answers to these issues and we want action.

It’s obvious that the U.S. economy is in trouble, but outside the Black Belt it’s not so obvious that Selma has issues that need to be addressed too. We thank Mayor Evans for following through with his title as mayor — making Selma his top priority. Evans has made great strides throughout his tenure and residents saw Monday at the St. James that he is not scared to approach public figures about why problems in Selma are not being addressed.

We encourage more behavior like the mayor’s to happen throughout the city.

We deserve answers to our city’s problems and action taken.