It should come as no surprise that the city of Martins Ferry is facing a severe budget crunch. Many local governments, including school districts, are strapped in part because of the recession.

Only two options are available to deal with the challenge: City officials can reduce spending or they can find new sources of revenue.

Some spending cuts, including layoffs of six city employees, already have been implemented. Money saved by that method will not be enough to keep Martins Ferry's budget in balance, city Auditor Rita Randall warned this week during a meeting of the City Council Finance Committee.

Randall projects a funding shortfall of at least $190,000 for the year. Depending on what happens with big employers such as Severstal steel and East Ohio Regional Hospital, the situation could be even more bleak.

During the committee meeting, council members discussed several options for raising more money, as well as others for reducing costs. One possibility is to lay off the city's emergency dispatchers and have that service provided by the county 911 system. That could save about $146,000 a year, but the city still would have to bear some costs, including new equipment, to join the county program.

Reducing city services, including emergency dispatching, is not a pleasant thought. But neither is providing more revenue by increasing taxes paid by city residents and businesses. Many of them are struggling, too - and most have no way of increasing their income.

We do not envy city officials, who now must make very difficult, unpopular decisions. At the same time we encourage them to make tax increases a last resort. Simply transferring Martins Ferry's financial problems to its residents and businesses is a path they should avoid.