Monday, U.S. Congressman Walter B. Jones visited the City of Washington and joined city officials, as well members of a local civic organization to hear and speak about issues concerning the nation, the state and the district.

It was a well-received visit, according to members of the Washington Noon Rotary, a bipartisan civic organization, and Mayor Mac Hodges. Jones first met with city officials, including Hodges and City Manager Brian Alligood to discuss issues facing Washington. Among some of the issues discussed, according to Hodges, were an outdated infrastructure, flooding throughout the city and issues concerning the downtown historic district.

Jones also addressed the Noon Rotary, citing issues facing the nation that he and many others are concerned about, some of which being the continued presence of the United States in Afghanistan and the money spent there, the national debt, the national deficit and other issues.

The most important aspect of this visit is that Jones actually made contact with City of Washington officials to hear about issues concerning the city, as well as to help channel federal grant money to the city. With that being said, Washington should hope to have some kind of aid from a friend in a high place that can help bring monies to the city, allowing it to address some of the pressing issues it faces. Hodges says much of the city’s electrical wiring, plumbing and other components of infrastructure are outdated and haven’t been replaced since the city’s urban renewal in the early 1960s.

Residents should applaud Hodges and other city officials for their outreach to Congressman Jones and Jones, himself, should be applauded for his responsible act of meeting with local officials of a small town like Washington.

With Washington recently finishing No. 5 on the Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America, that momentum, paired with a close relationship with Jones and his possible help in allocating federal grant monies to improve Washington’s weak points, could really benefit Washington economically and as a tourist destination.

Continued collaboration between local officials and those who represent the area on a national level like Congressman Jones will not only help bring money to Washington, but, in the long run, will make for a better place to work, live and visit.

Another good thing about the collaboration is that Washington will have a bigger voice in the future through the better relations between its officials and Jones.