Low bidders and the department store “Blue Light Special” are good things when you’re trying to save a few bucks. But as our mommas and grandmas used to say, you can also be “Penny wise and pound foolish.”

Georgetown’s new city administrator Chris Carter started his job here last week. There have been some people who have criticized Carter’s salary of $105,000.

That is a nice salary, but when we as a community look at where we are and where we want to go, the chances are we need to pay the price for quality and not skimp on a salary for the person we want to lead us into a bright future.

In the pages of the Georgetown Times, and in coffee break, water cooler and parking lot discussions many of us have talked about the challenges facing our city.

Georgetown is blessed with a tremendous heritage. We have natural beauty, a decent industrial base, and many people who love our city and county and want to visit or move here.

But we also have lingering problems. The nation faces tough economic times, there are problems such as the ongoing drainage project and sinkholes, city budgets, the port that needs to be dredged and revitalized, and areas of our city and county in sore need of fixing up and brightening.

It’s important that we invest the money in a well-qualified administrator who can lead us through challenges we face and into an improved local economy and planned growth.

Sometimes, you really do get what you pay for.

We’re looking forward to the city and county working together as part of an overall community that will stretch to reach and even exceed its potential.