This month, the Selma-Dallas County Leadership class received a crash course in city and county government.

With the way things are right now at Selma City Hall, the majority of the class was ready to dive deep into what the local government is currently going through.

Amid the talks that each speaker shared (mayor, city council members, etc.) we learned that all sides of the local government have things to improve on.

I think we can all agree that the problems the city government is facing did not happen overnight. One of those problems is the urge to look for a quick fix.

When it comes to drastic problems (lay-offs, lack of funds) there can never be a quick fix that will magically bring back all the laid-off employees and put enough money in the bank to maintain everything for years to come.

Of course, that would be wonderful, but this is not a perfect world we live in.

That is why I think we could all also agree that this problem cannot be fixed immediately.

Something that was agreed upon by Selma Mayor Darrio Melton and the council member that spoke to us was that everyone in the government needs to understand their role in the system.

That is something that spoke volumes to all of us leadership class members.

It is something that we can take away and use in our daily lives as well.

In the government, people are placed into specific roles, whether through election or hiring, and each person has a specific role to play in how things flow in government.

This can be true for any type of office or job that people hold.

If you are in sync with everyone around you, everything flows with ease.

If you get out of sync with people, or roles start overlapping, chaos ensues, and it is like traveling against the current of a river.

Everyone in the government here in Selma knowing their role, what they are in charge of, and what they are meant to do with their position, could be the first step in fixing everything that is wrong.

This is not just a council or mayor office thing, it is something that all involved should do.

We as citizens even should know what roles we play in getting this place back on track.

I encourage all of you to evaluate yourself, and try to figure out what you can do to help move the city forward.

Again, our situation is not something that can be fixed overnight, but all it takes is small steps in the right direction to get us started.