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An Editorial Opinion of The Selma Times-Journal

On Thursday, Mayor James Perkins Jr. held a press conference to announce the victory he and City Treasurer Terri Barnes-Smith scored in court against Selma company Neely Preservation Group, which performed a series of events for the city.

The courts ruled they were not liable for withholding funds to the company.

However, City Council President Billy Young, on behalf of the City Council, accused the mayor of wasting funds on the lawsuit. Young specifically cited the fact that the mayor used personal lawyers using “$400 per hour” fees to defend the case, and the mayor wanted the city to pay for those expenses.

The mayor, according to state law, has the right to terminate contracts, the ruling said. However, the order said NPG didn’t prove that they had performed the services.

The case is not over yet, as there could be appeals still pending. Here are a few things for sure, there are no winners in this lawsuit. A Selma company will not get paid for the services they rendered. The city could be responsible for these legal fees.

And it continues to divide the city between the mayor and council.

The mayor and council should not be on opposite sides of a lawsuit. It’s been widely said, “A house divided shall fall.”

Selma is a strong city, and it has survived so much over its history. However, the future of the city would be much brighter if there was cooperation between the mayor and council.

We hope that both sides will attempt to come together prior to this year’s election. If not, we hope that those elected to the next term will usher in a new day of cooperation and togetherness.