In the context of a $65 million city budget, $24,000 is a relatively small piece of the pie. Sure, it could support various municipal expenses, but it can make an even greater difference in the life of some people. According to a proposal being considered by Elizabeth City City Council, that amount of money collected in Internet Sweepstakes café privilege fees should be used to help poor people pay their utility bills. It sounds like a pretty good idea.

Some Elizabeth City citizens may take a different view, claiming that public revenues — whatever the amount — should be spread evenly to benefit all citizens. It’s a valid claim, even if the amount of money is only a small portion of total city revenues. Our view is that this level of help, offered to disabled, elderly and impoverished people who cannot afford heat in the winter, is actually a service to every citizen.

Elizabeth City’s Finance Committee is expected to review proposals this month on how Internet café fees should be spent. The city already maintains a utility assistance fund that is managed by the local office of the Salvation Army. The current appropriation to the fund — $10,000 — is distributed according to the needs and circumstances of local residents as determined by the Salvation Army. Long before the city even considered such a fund, the Salvation Army was stepping up to assist residents on their utility bills — as well as to help thousands of other local citizens pinched by a variety of economic and social ills.

The Salvation Army’s penchant for knowing how to help people is unparalleled among charitable service. Of course, the Christian agency has been at it for a century and a half and the organization has become proficient and efficient at responding to human need. It’s no stretch to assume that the city’s relationship with the Salvation Army might be one of its most productive when it comes to ensuring the wisely managed spending of the public’s tax dollars.

Also, considering the additional burden that has pressed more citizens affected by a sour economy and high unemployment, there could not be a better time for the city to increase the level of its allocation to this assistance fund.

The Finance Committee can recommend whether the city should direct any or all of the estimated $24,000 in sweepstakes café fee revenues to the utility assistance fund. That amount represents the difference between the total revenue generated by the standing $500 per machine fee and what a proposed lower alternative fee of $300 fee would have yielded. The utility assistance plan was proposed last fall by former Councilman Rickey King during discussion of the lower fee.

Another alternative for how to use the revenue includes expanding the city’s weatherization assistance plan. The finance committee could recommend that option for how the dollars are used, or it could support sending all of the revenue to the general fund to cover other city expenses.

Whatever the committee recommends and the full council eventually agrees to, we’d urge an annual review of how these revenues have been spent and how many citizens have benefitted. If it turns out that the city supports the utility assistance option, knowing the impact on residents may affect other spending decisions.

The reality is that Elizabeth City has plenty of legitimate places to spend tax dollars, and many citizens can argue effectively for this or that expenditure. On the other hand, we see little disagreement among residents that Elizabeth City has very high electricity rates. Those rates have a sometimes disproportionate impact on the city’s poorest citizens, often forcing them to choose between medicine or food, or both, for heat.

We don’t believe the people of Elizabeth City want any citizens to have to make that kind of choice.