Public has duty to speak

Published 8:19 am Thursday, October 3, 2019

At Tuesday night’s meeting of South Point council, it was decided to repeal an ordinance regarding pitbulls and “vicious dogs” that had been in effect for several years.

The law, which had been challenged in court and prevailed, had served as a model for municipalities across the nation.

But, with a revised Ohio law, villages are no longer allowed to have a breed-specific language in their ordinances.

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However, the repeal does not mean the village will be letting the issue go.

Mayor Jeff Gaskin appointed a three-person committee to work toward a solution to the problem, which the council plans to address in December.

In the meantime, village leaders are asking for the public’s input, urging residents to call council members and the mayor’s office to give their opinion about what they would like to see.

This is a welcome development and we are thankful the process has been opened to the people to this extent.

Hopefully, all in the South Point area will share their views and provide feedback so that leaders can come up with a new proposal that will protect the public, but also be fair to all pet owners.