Elected leaders base their decisions on input from the community. Mayor John Elam can think of no better time than now to let those voices be heard.

With an impending strike set to begin Monday, city council will vote on a temporary $10-per-household municipal fee. It is a measure that could help avert the labor stoppage, as well as patch the city's $500,000 gap between revenues and expenses.

Council meets at 6 p.m. Thursday in the city center, and Elam wants the community to provide input on the ordinance that does not appear to have much council support.

Elam said he supports the municipal fee and remains hopeful that a strike will not be necessary.

"This whole thing has been reduced to a sanitation issue, but it is more than that. Sanitation is just the most visible part," Elam said. "It is about the health, welfare and well-being of the City of Ironton."

The AFSCME Local 771, which includes employees in the city's street, sanitation, flood, water and sewer

departments, police dispatchers, the income tax and water collection offices and the meter maid, plans to hit the picket lines at 6 a.m. Monday unless a last-minute compromise can be reached.

The primary issue remains the layoffs of 10 municipal employees that included eight AFSCME workers - three employees in the sanitation department, three in the street department, a water department clerk and either the meter maid or a custodian once those two positions are combined.

In addition, two non-union administrative employees were also be laid off - the assistant code enforcement officer and the facilities manager. The vacant position of economic development director will not be filled.

Elam said 75 percent of the people he has talked to support the fee. He and union President Joe Johnson both encouraged citizens to let their councilmen know how they feel or attend the meeting.

"The officials speak for the people. They are the voice of the people," Johnson said. "It is time for the leaders to hear all the voices."

Elam echoed those sentiments.

"I encourage people to voice their opinions in the open forum at 6 p.m. Thursday. That way, everyone has the opportunity to hear the same things that everyone else is hearing," Elam said. "That way, there will be informed decisions."

Council President Jim Tordiff and Councilman Chuck O'Leary have drafted an ordinance to implement the municipal fee that would generate between $500,000 and $600,000 per year but would be abolished if other ideas to generate revenue were later adopted.

If adopted, Tordiff and O'Leary would like to see three sanitation employees brought back to work on the condition that they go into a labor pool once they complete their route in four or five hours.

The employees would then be used on other projects in the city and be paid from that particular department.

Councilman Brent Pyles questioned the municipal fee and whether throwing money at the problem is the right answer.

"It is time to cut through the red tape or the fog or whatever and quit talking about running the city more efficiently and start doing it," he said. "Until we do, I can't support adding another fee."

Though people may see some differences, Pyles said he remains confident that some changes could allow the city to maintain necessary services.

Fifth Street resident Dave Cole wants the city to maintain vital services and feels everyone should pay their fair share. Therefore, he is supporting the municipal fee instead of an income tax increase

"Everybody who lives here should be paying something," he said. "I think the income tax laws should be changed so you pay where you live, not where you work."

If a strike happens, Elam said residents will have to bear with the city until the situation can be resolved.

"Services will be compromised. We will try to maintain the most basic services for the well-being of the citizens of Ironton," Elam said. "We ask for their patience as we try to provide the services they have grow accustomed to, like filling pot holes, trimming trees, grading alleys, graveling alleys and special trash pick ups."

The workers plan to picket the city building, the city garage, the waste water treatment plant and the water filtration plant.

In Pyles' opinion, a strike will only add to the problems and hurt the residents.

"I don't think a strike in this town will solve anything, but it is their prerogative," Pyles said.

From the union's perspective, Johnson emphasized that the municipal fee is only a temporary fix until the city can find other ways to generate revenue. He added that he believes the fee and plans to bring city employees back to work over a scheduled time frame could halt plans for a strike.

"It depends on city council. If this would pass, I believe we can avert this," he said. "I think this is what the citizens want. I don't believe they want to see us strike."