One of the biggest complaints about our region is that there is not enough positive activities for our youth. Although that may be a valid criticism, Ironton voters will have the opportunity to dismiss that notion.

Ironton residents will be asked to vote on a half mill recreation levy when they head to the polls on Nov. 6.

Essentially this won’t cost voters a whole lot more than it has in the past. Because it is a replacement levy rather than a renewal, the cost for home owners will be based on current property values rather than values from when the levy was put in place originally.

In the end it will cost most property owners just a few dollars a month to help provide positive opportunities for youth.

The levy, which will generate $63,500, is used for maintenance of the city’s parks and to operate the youth basketball and cheerleading programs.

We hope voters do approve this but we would like to see the city’s recreation department refocus a bit on how it spends these dollars. Some of the money could still be used for the youth basketball and cheerleading, but it would benefit the most number of citizens if those programs were funded primarily by those who use them and more resources were put toward upgrading the city’s public parks.

Ironton’s children and families deserve to have nice places to play and activities to do in them. Voters have supported this for decades and we hope they continue to do so.