Many times, people go through things in life that don’t seem to be fair. This can be the case for individuals and municipalities when dealing with the federal government as well.

Over the past several years, various towns and villages throughout Lawrence County and their respective residents have faced various unfunded mandates from the Environmental Protection Agency.

This has potentially been the most widely felt by the city of Ironton and its taxpayers.

The current portion of a list of mandates from the EPA is the city split its storm water runoff from the sewer system.

Ultimately, these mandates will make needed improvements to the city’s infrastructure. But at the same time, the ability to pay for these unfunded mandate phases presents an issue for officials.

The city must work to gather the information and create a clear vision that works for both the city and residents. While this decision needs to remain a top priority for officials, they can’t fall into a trap of making a decision that makes the situation worse just to resolve it quickly.

However, we are encouraged that the mayor and city council are looking at several pieces of information and options regarding the proper course of action relating to a possible fee. This includes continued communication with the public on progress.

While these mandates and the circumstances may be difficult, the reality is the clock is still moving toward the deadline.