On Thursday, the Ironton City Council voted to raise the impound rate of vehicles.

It is now a $200 towing fee for a vehicle impounded by the Ironton Police Department and taken to the city’s impound lot. The rate will be $30 per 24-hour period.

The towing fee will be split between the tow and the remainder of the tow fee and the impound fee will be earmarked to the police department’s equipment replacement fund.

The fees will take effect on July 1.

The council normally has audience participation after the prayer, roll call and approval of minutes are done. This time the city council moved towards the end of the meeting.

That didn’t set well with YouTuber Chille DeCastro, of Delete Lawz, who was in Ironton for his morning pretrial hearing on misdemeanor charges in the Ironton Municipal Court.

He said couldn’t believe the council would continue to allow people to “be victimized by aggressive thieves” and that they were raising the tow fee by $200 dollars. 

It was pointed out that it was raised to $200, from $175.

“You guys are supposed to be leaders. You see what is happening here, your town is bankrupt. The people can’t afford the extra $25, $50, $100 bucks,” DeCastro said. “You guys raising the fees on the people here is exactly why I came.”

He complained of the move of the public participation portion. 

“You switched it around so you could vote on that before you could have public testimony,” he said.

In the other item on the council, they approved an ordinance to let the Ohio Department of Transportation to resurface U.S. 52 from Depot Road to Ohio 141.

The Ironton City Council meets at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month.