The third time should be the charm — one way or the other — when it comes to the Village of Coal Grove’s operating levy.

Village residents will be asked to renew a one-mil mil tax levy today when they head to the polls. The levy, which helps the village pay for a variety of public services including police protection as well as street lights and paving, had been in place for years but has been voted down two straight times.

Losing this $20,000 was a big hit to Coal Grove’s minimal operating budget.

Village officials hope today’s outcome will be different and that it will be the last time they have to ask voters to open their pocketbooks for awhile.

And it should be — regardless of the outcome.

Hopefully, residents will see that this tax is a small price to pay to live in a safer, cleaner and better community. For a homeowner with a house valued at $100,000, approving this levy would cost an additional $30.63 each year.

That is money well spent. It is difficult to put a price tag on quality of life.

But, if voters say no again, it falls on village leaders to make the necessary changes and live with the money it has.

Will that require tough decisions? Certainly. Will the village and the services it provides suffer? Absolutely. Will there be an easy fix that doesn’t impact citizens’ lives? No way.

But the voters will have spoken clearly — for the third straight time. Elected leaders in the village will have to find a way to listen to what they say.