Ironton residents had another opportunity to hear city government officials explain the workings of the city’s budget – but attendance was once again low.

Wednesday, October 17, 2001

Ironton residents had another opportunity to hear city government officials explain the workings of the city’s budget – but attendance was once again low.

About 40 people – the largest audience yet, but still smaller than city officials hoped – filed into First Baptist Church to hear the city’s presentation by Mayor Bob Cleary and to participate in a question-and-answer session with Cleary, council chairman Jim Tordiff and finance director Cindy Anderson.

Written questions, posed anonymously, were presented to the panel by meeting moderator Dave Lucas.

The questions ranged from a variety of topics including what would happen if the measure didn’t pass to alternative methods to generate revenue.

Adding a fee was one of the questions city officials fielded during the Q&A session, specifically, adding a license fee for city residents.

Cleary said city officials had "kicked around" the idea of adding a $5 license plate fee but that money could only be used for street repairs, not to shore up the general fund. He also said with the fees added to the water bill, and the fire fee, and temporary $2.50 municipal fee, adding an additional fee would be difficult for city residents to swallow. Cleary said it, "kinda felt like we were being fee’d to death."

Cleary said the license plate fee would generate about $60,000 for the city’s street department, plus, the state normally kicks in a matching grant so the city could reap $120,000 for street repairs.

The panel was also asked what will happen to property values and insurance costs if the measure doesn’t pass and the police and fire department was cut.

Tordiff said the staffing levels at the public safety departments would make a tremendous impact on the city. He said, "it is impossible to take mere cuts in the police department and still have a police department," Tordiff said. He added that on any given shift, there are only two officers on duty and cuts would make it difficult, if not impossible, for the city to maintain adequate police protection.

Cleary said property values would probably be affected if community services were cut.

Tordiff added that if the measure doesn’t pass, there will be a "drastic" reduction in services the city provides. Cleary added that services would need to be reduced to fit in the reduced budget.

"We won’t operate the budget anywhere near the red," Cleary said.

The next, and final, town meeting will be held next Tuesday at Ohio University Southern Campus. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m.