Laurinburg City Councilman Curtis Leak may very well need the Heimlich maneuver after stuffing his foot in his mouth Tuesday during a council meeting.

Members of the community — some from Leak’s own District 1 — were engaging the City Council in a discussion about flooding problems that some residents continue to deal with. These drainage difficulties aren’t solely associated with the ripple effects from Hurricane Florence or the months of rain that followed. These water woes have been ongoing for some time.

Residents are understandably frustrated, and they have regularly taken out that frustration on the City Council.

On Tuesday evening, it was more of the same — but this time, the residents’ frustration was met with frustration from Leak.

“As a matter of fact, I live there and I saw boats coming down my street and you don’t hear me crying,” Leak said. “My house sits between two major ditches that control all of the water from there to there. You’re correct, I didn’t say nothing because I’m not a crybaby.”

There was nothing of value in what Leak had to say. Instead, it was argumentative and confrontational — certainly not what we expect from our elected officials.

But there is more.

A resident of District 1 questioned why Leak had failed to bring the flooding problems in his district to the City Council.

“You’re on the council, it’s your job to report what needs to be done,” Donald Rainer said. “If you have a problem in your district going on and flooding you out, it’s your job to bring it on the table to get these problems fixed.”

He’s exactly right.

Leak has been a councilman long enough to know that his job on the board is to represent his constituents, standing shoulder to shoulder with them when problems arise. If he fails to bring concerns and problems from his district to the City Council, then what good is he really doing?

Residents in District 1 deserve better than a councilman who won’t work with them to resolve problems and find solutions through the City Council for issues like flooding and poor drainage. They also deserve better than to be berated and called crybabies when they come before the City Council with their concerns.

Leak is up for re-election in November during the municipal elections, but he didn’t do himself any favors with Tuesday’s outburst.

We certainly aren’t advocating residents in District 1 get on the bandwagon of Leak’s opponents, merely that Leak better understand his role on the City Council and position within District 1.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” (Anonymous)