An informed and engaged citizenry is the basis of functioning democracy.

The academic setting of the Ohio University Southern Campus seemed an appropriate for the City of Ironton’s forum on Thursday.

The 100 or so people who attended the event in OUS’s Mains Rotunda learned a lot. Subjects included the financial issues facing the city, why the council feels it is necessary to raise fees and what their proposals for raising revenue to keep the city budget in a positive position in the future.

They also learned the basics of local government, from who is in charge of what in the city to the individual departments and what those departments do.

People could make suggestions on what direction the city should go.

We commend the council and the mayor for taking their free night to explain what the issues are, even if they have explained it many times. This time was different since it was seen by an estimated 2,000 people on Facebook Live and recorded by OUS Electronic Media to be broadcast on TV.

We encourage all people to talk to their government officials and for those officials to listen.