The Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors would have been wise to take more seriously Lockett District Supervisor Robert M. “Bobby” Jones’ suggestion that they hold a special meeting with the Southside Family YMCA’s Board of Directors.

Such a meeting is needed before the board considers the second of three agreed-to $50,000 loan installments or co-signing a note to refinance the Y’s $2.1 million debt.

There’s no doubt that the Y offers much-needed services to our community. We think that the association’s presence has been beneficial for the this area.

But before the county allocates another penny to the Y or takes the bold step of co-signing a note, county supervisors and members of the Y’s board of directors need to sit down, publicly, during a special meeting dedicated solely to proactive dialogue and fact-finding and learn more about each other’s goals, aspirations and specifically the Y’s finances.

Kipper Lafoon, a member of the Y’s board of directors, told the board of supervisors during its Dec. 8 meeting that the Y has struggled from “month-to-month” with bills, payroll and the existing debt load.

The Y should explain why and how it got into this financial predicament before the county considers co-signing or allocating more money.

The second and third installments of the $50,000 loan were contingent on the Y making “adequate progress in addressing their cash-flow challenges,” according to County Administrator Wade Bartlett.

There are obvious issues if the Y has struggled with payroll and bills.

In this space months ago, we encouraged supervisors to allocate the second of three promised $50,000 loans. Word of deeper financial struggles for the organization should cause the entire community to take a step back and reexamine the situation.

Sitting eye-to-eye and talking face-to-face would do both supervisors and Y leaders a lot of good.