More than 20 residents turned out Tuesday to demand the Ladysmith City Council follow through with a planned referendum to fund lifeguards at Memorial Park Beach.

Aldermen at a recent Legal Affairs Committee spoke against lifeguard funding, stating the city cannot afford the projected $15,000 expense. Residents upset by the comments said the cost is only a small fraction of a nearly $4 million total city budget.

“Many people are upset to see the city spending money on things other than lifeguards,” city resident Heather Tinder said in support of lifeguard funding.“Are we going to vote on everything, until we can’t afford to live in Ladysmith? I don’t think so,” alderman Mike Hraban said.

Last spring, the council voted to conduct a referendum on the lifeguard issue during the upcoming Nov. 4 presidential election. The referendum could give the city permission to exceed state-imposed levy limits lifeguards. County, city, village and town governments are only allowed 2 percent annual levy increases under state law. Inflationary and other cost of living increases typically exceed this amount, sometimes resulting in services being cut to balance the budget.

This is what is has come to...referendums on paying lifeguards?