Some obstructionists would gladly see the effort to outsource garbage collection in Selma fail. Whether these people are afraid of change or have a political ax to grind is beyond the scope of debate.

The issue is the city is losing money on garbage collection. Many people do not pay their bills. Collection efforts have yielded little return, even with the help of a collection agency. In addition, the city has to replace trucks and other equipment to keep up with wear, tear and time.

The Selma Times-Journal has long supported the outsourcing of garbage collection because it makes sense. A couple of weeks ago, the Selma City Council voted to award a contract.

After the vote, during negotiations with the city’s attorney, some questions were raised. Those questions led to a decision by the council at its most recent work session to reconsider bidding the contracts.

There are some questions about this action. The council needs to think very carefully about stepping off into this morass. Council members should consider carefully the letter given to them by City Attorney Jimmy Nunn, conduct some research on their own and act accordingly.

The garbage collection business still needs outsourcing.