New London needs a director of human services. It is an urban center with substantial public housing, numerous nonprofit agencies assisting the poor, and a large elderly population, many living on fixed incomes. The city will benefit by having someone to help coordinate it all. That has been lacking since the City Council eliminated the social services department in 2005 to control spending.

That is why we welcome Mayor Michael Passero’s initiative to create the position in the new fiscal year that begins July 1. It is also appropriate that the human services director be appointed by and answer to the mayor.

Part of the job of the new director will be working with human services agencies in the city to identify individuals and families who are confronted with fiscal situations that could toss them into homelessness and help them access the services necessary to prevent that crisis before it happens. Such efforts will make New London a better city and should be a mayoral priority.

The City Council voted 5-1 Tuesday to create the position.

If there is one quibble we have, it is with the process. The position has now been created outside of the normal budgetary procedure. With the authorization in hand, Mayor Passero will include it in his budget proposal for next fiscal year. If Mayor Passero is going to make holding the line on spending and taxes a priority, as stated during his campaign, it would seem something else will have to give to fund this new position. The public does not yet know what that will be.

This may be a shrewd calculation by the mayor. Having authorized the new position the council may now feel obligated to fund it at budget time. And, as noted earlier, it should be a priority. But the more appropriate path would have been to include it as part of the overall budget proposal along with other proposed changes.

In the end, it perhaps will amount to the same thing; choices will have to be made. Maybe delivering the good news of a human services director in advance will make what could be a difficult budget message to come more palatable.