Last week, we opined in this space that we’d prefer tough questions about projects be asked before money has been spent, not after.

That opinion hasn’t changed.

But we are encouraged by the fact that Councilmen Jeff Russell, R-At Large, Bill Reynolds, R-Ward 5, and Regina Brackman, D-Ward 3, are asking for additional information they don’t feel they’re getting. There is already more information about issues coming before the City Council available now than at any time before 2020. Former Mayor Eddie Sundquist deserves credit for that, as does Mayor Kim Ecklund for continuing the practice of making large amounts of information available as part of publicly available City Council packets.

So, when Russell and Reynolds say they would like regular reporting on the city’s fleet maintenance garage or on housing demolitions and code citations, it should carry some weight. For as much information as the public can see these days, council members get even more information in their individual packets that isn’t included in the public information with even more detail often given in private. Rather than claim they are overloaded with information, there are council members publicly saying they’d like to see more.

Having more information available on a regular basis helps council members better represent their constituents and, ideally, helps drive changes to the way the city does business.

Over the years we’ve been vocal in this space pushing the council to be more involved rather than taking a back seat to the mayor and city staff. Many city residents have been asking for the same thing. Jamestown has a lot of problems to solve – and council members asking the right questions is one way to help solve them.