The synthetic ice rink south of the new Lawrence Public Library may prove to be a popular attraction for local skaters, but local taxpayers nonetheless should be grateful to a couple of city commissioners who questioned — and subsequently voted against — the expenditure of $80,000 on yet another recreation amenity for Lawrence.

The ice rink was approved on a 3-2 vote Tuesday night but not before Mayor Mike Amyx and Commissioner Mike Dever registered their opposition to the plan. Amyx pointed to recent budget deliberations during which commissioners denied many requests for new equipment for various city departments.

Dever also expressed the opinion that, instead of spending $80,000 on the ice rink, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department should keep some cushion in its budget to cover unexpected costs associated with opening the new recreation center at Rock Chalk Park. It will take some time to determine the exact staffing and operating needs for a new facility and how much it will cost to meet those needs.

In the big scheme of the city budget, $80,000 isn’t an enormous amount, but that money could have been used to upgrade some important city equipment, buy some vehicles or cover some unexpected expenses for the recreation center that now may have to be squeezed out of other parts of the budget.

The ice rink sounds like a fun idea and it drew some positive response in the community — including in this space — before a specific price tag was put on the project. It still sounds like fun, but it may not be the best way for the city to spend $80,000 right now.

In light of the city’s growing wish list and the local property tax increases that will be required to fund next year’s city and county budgets, it’s good to see a couple of city commissioners questioning this kind of expenditure. For the sake of local taxpayers, we hope, in the future, other commissioners will follow their lead.