When a budget for the year is almost exhausted with three months to go, it’s usually a sign that something is wrong. In the case of the Albert Lea City Council, however, it’s a sign that council members are taking the proactive approach it seems voters asked for when they went to the polls last year.

The council has spent much of its discretionary budget, a relatively small amount of money set aside each year for the body to spend on miscellaneous projects or proposals that may come before the council. A recent donation to the Big Island Rendezvous is a good example of a typical use for these funds.

But the council has also spent the money on other things for which the previous council did not specifically budget, like the council retreat, mosquito spraying and cleaning up around the old wastewater treatment plant. With the exception of the retreat, which caused some controversy because of the expense of a hired facilitator, those are projects which most people can agree are worthwhile. And even the retreat was a good step for a council that needed to find a collective identity and purpose.

In a way, spending the council budget is one of the only ways the city can react quickly to concerns or show their support for important community activities and projects like the Rendezvous and the new Celebrate Albert Lea festival. A city council that is responsive and willing to get involved is something Albert Lea should be glad to have.