Lawrence city commissioners did the right thing by not stringing out discussion of a new public library any further for now.

At their meeting Tuesday, commissioners said that expanding the Lawrence Public Library or building a new facility was not in their plans for the foreseeable future. It will not, they said, be discussed as part of their consideration of a sales tax increase, nor are they willing to put a bond issue for an estimated $20 million project to voters any time soon.

This decision probably was not a surprise to library officials or anyone who had followed this project. After seeking grand proposals for a new library, commissioners seemed taken aback by the price tags and had allowed the issue to linger on the back burner for the last 18 months.

Although many library supporters no doubt were disappointed that the project would be set aside, it is only fair to library officials and the developers who had presented proposals for city officials to make a firm statement on their intentions.

A new public library is one of a number of desirable projects Lawrence could pursue. If now was not the time for such a project, city officials needed to say so, but let’s hope it won’t be long before the city is able to build its tax base enough to allow it to finance and move forward on some worthwhile projects to make Lawrence an even better place to live.