Just after a week after the city seized control of the St. James Hotel, the Selma City Council remains split on what to do with the historic structure.

After nearly an hour of discussion, the council voted Tuesday against paying Sonja McCall to manage the St. James and also denied a motion to close the hotel.

It’s vital to the revitalization of Selma’s downtown district that the St. James stays open.

Selma’s put a lot into the amphitheatre project and the downtown area as a whole, and it would be a shame if one of Water Avenue’s landmarks closed its doors.

There’s a chance that if the St. James did actually close its doors, that they would never open again.

We believe there’s still a bright future for the St. James under the right management and circumstances, and we think it remains a key piece in the future of Selma’s entertainment district.

However, it’s time for the city to get out of the hotel business. Not only is it unfair for the city to compete with other businesses in the area, but it’s also not the city’s job to manage a hotel.

Mayor George Evans has said he can manage the hotel with employees from city hall in the short term.  Although we’d be against a long-term plan that included the city running the St. James Hotel, we’ve come to accept that the city may have to manage the hotel for a short time.

It’s up to the city council to decide what the next step is, and it needs to happen quickly.