Last week, Suffolk City Council chose for the city to continue its relationship with the Southeastern Public Service Authority past the regional agreement expiration on Jan. 24, 2018.

Good for them. After all, it makes sense that Suffolk would want to do so, particularly since the city is a host site for the agency-run landfill. In exchange, the city gets free disposal. The seven other member localities — Chesapeake, Franklin, Isle of Wight County, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Southampton County and Virginia Beach — pay fees for taking their trash to the Suffolk landfill for disposal.

For that reason, we understand and support why Franklin, Southampton and Isle of Wight are still researching whether or not they want to continue their relationship with SPSA. Leaders and spokesmen for the aforementioned localities have each stated no decision has been made so far. Franklin, for example, is waiting to see what other places do.

Virginia Beach, by the way, is the only other member that’s also extending its commitment to SPSA.

Because a lot of money is potentially at stake in continuing with the authority, we urge those three localities to continue studying the feasibility of other options before signing even so much as a resolution of support.