The city of Porterdale was on the right track when it began work on an ordinance that would have required landlords to register empty properties with the city. The ordinance also would have required inspections (paid for by the property owners) to ensure that landlords kept up their properties.
But last week a group of landlords came to a council work session and for all practical purposes intimidated the council into backing down.

We hope the council reconsiders.

Porterdale is a quaint town that has character, but a substantial number of its homes are rental properties. The landlords at the work session said that they maintain their properties. This group may very well do that, but apparently a majority of Porterdale landlords don't, or the ordinance wouldn't have been considered. Town voters elected a council to look out for their best interest. The council needs to have the courage to do just that. Porterdale needs an ordinance governing abandoned properties that has some substance to it.