There is a strong argument that leaders in Wheeling have mismanaged the city’s homeless problem over the past few years. Remember the Life Hub boondoggle that was the answer to all the city’s problems for the small sum of millions of dollars? Or the city’s homeless liaison — that would end homelessness?

This much is clear: Wheeling has spent millions of your taxpayer dollars over the past few years on the homeless issue with little to show except for a camp that, according to city leaders, is supposed to be overseen and maintained by area social service agencies.

Now comes Councilman Ben Seidler who on Tuesday said even that camp has become a mess. Seidler used council floor to make this statement: keep the camp clean and under control or he will recommend its closure.

“We started this homeless camp as an exempted property — as a place we could use as a triage for homeless individuals while they find the services that they need,” Seidler said. “The intent was that the nonprofit agencies in the city that help our homeless individuals would be able to go to one central location and really give them resources and help them through the process of getting them on the right track to end their cycle of homelessness.”

Seidler alleged the social service agencies are not holding up their end of the bargain. Instead, he noted taxpayers have spent close to $100,000 over the past year just to clean up the camp and that the city has been forced to take the lead in managing the site.

“This place is rife for drugs, abuse, human trafficking … the list goes on,” he said. “I’m not sure exactly what’s going on or why these nonprofits aren’t stepping up and taking care of business. But I don’t have a whole lot of length left in my buffer for this camp at this point. So we need to either get these nonprofits to step up, get it together and do what they committed to do, or I’m going to start recommending that this camp go away.”

That’s a strong stance. But Seidler’s right — city taxpayers should not be shouldering the entire burden of maintaining this camp. A deeper community conversation is necessary on this issue.