In Lansford, council has a chance to do something that’s not often seen in local government.

They’re considering a low-risk decision that can bring residents a high-value return.

On Tuesday, council decided to explore the possibility of a fee on skill-game machines that would benefit the American Fire Co. No. 1.

It’s nothing flashy or new, but it’s smart — especially at a time when Harrisburg can’t decide how to regulate or tax the machines.

And with the bang of a gavel, the borough can join a number of regional communities in leading instead of waiting for action from the Capitol.

The machines have crept into bars, convenience stores and social clubs across the state. They look like slot machines and act like slot machines, except when players push a little button that arguably justifies their existence as “games of skill.”

While lawmakers in Harrisburg decide how to handle things, nothing has passed despite repeated attempts.

The stalemate leaves local governments to figure things out on their own.

In some places, they already have.

For example, over in Minersville, Schuylkill County, council enacted a $1,000 annual fee per machine.

Cressona did the same, while officials in Frackville and Saint Clair set their levy at $500 annually. Girardville, at $250 annually and Pottsville at $150 per machine round out a list of regional communities that’s beginning to grow.

Many of those communities use the revenue generated by the fees to support day-to-day operations and help support the added workload of monitoring and enforcing the ordinance.

Lansford, though, can craft its own ordinance that reflects its own needs and not just be stuck with whatever compromise is reached in Harrisburg.

At the onset of the skill-game saga, many officials argued they should just be banned altogether.

Some point to a situation in Hazleton a few years ago in which a convenience store worker was murdered during a robbery by an overzealous gamer.

Others say skill games should be taxed as gambling devices, with the cash heading to Harrisburg.

But none of that does anything to deal with a municipality’s concerns about safety or their impact on neighborhoods.

Fees that are clearly stated and with rules about when and where the skill games can be operated is a commonsense approach. Boroughs get the tools to manage the machines instead of turning a blind eye toward their existence.

Instead, the move would create an additional dedicated funding source for the fire company without raising taxes and maintaining the current 1.5-mill fire protection assessment.

Also, it empowers the borough to set rules on where the machines operate, as well as when they can operate.

And it shows that Lansford is paying attention to how the machines are affecting the borough and its residents.

The fire company that would benefit from the fees isn’t just a line item in a budget.

They’re the guys who showed up at a blaze that left five people homeless recently — the latest appearance in long line of responses over the years.

And like most volunteer departments, they’re constantly hustling with raffles and other events to keep the lights on and their trucks running.

The revenue stream from skill-game fees would help firefighters offset the cost of upgrading gear and help pay for specialized training that keeps residents safer.

It may even help encourage new volunteers.

Whatever the fee borough leaders decide on, it adds up one machine at a time. The money stays local to help protect the borough instead of disappearing into a general fund.

If a statewide tax is passed in Harrisburg, much of the money will go toward plugging budget holes that have nothing to do with Lansford. The money travels to the capital, but only some of it would trickle back.

A local fee — which stays in effect no matter the state’s decision — would keep Lansford on top of what’s happening inside the borough and allow it to reinvest in public safety. It’s fiscally responsible. It puts the borough first and is just plain common sense.

It doesn’t say the machines are bad or that they harm people and it doesn’t limit their use.

Enacting a fee on skill games is a choice that lets local money help local people instead of having it fade into fiscal obscurity.

It’s practical, transparent and community minded on both sides of the budget balance sheet.

And it’s certainly a gamble worth taking.

ED SOCHA | tneditor@tnonline.com

Ed Socha is a retired newspaper editor with more than 45 years’ experience in community journalism.