The Selma City Council met Monday night to discuss listing the St. James Hotel with a national realtor, despite a potential offer from Janee Hotel Corporation out of Illinois.

Janee offered to purchase the hotel for $500,000 over six years, with the city maintaining partial ownership during those six years. It’s important for the city to take all offers seriously at this point, especially considering the amount of money its costing Selma to maintain the hotel.

However, we think the council is making the right decision to go ahead and list the hotel. It’s important that the city sells the hotel outright and doesn’t maintain ownership. A partnership is not in the best interest of the city.

By owning the St. James, the city has been unfairly competing with other hotels in Selma. It’s time for the city to get out of the hotel business permanently.

Listing the St. James with a national realtor is the fastest and probably most effective way to make sure that happens.