Re: Colwood shells out for crossing guards, B次元官网网址, Sept. 21, 2011.

I take some issue with the context of the article B次元官网网址淐olwood shells out for crossing guards.B次元官网网址�

To clarify, according to my notes and City minutes, I did not say B次元官网网址淭heir primary responsibility should be for the kids getting to school safe, which includes crossing the street.B次元官网网址� I certainly donB次元官网网址檛 believe that.

However, I did say that the primary responsibility for funding crossing guards historically was a school board responsibility, and I wondered why they have pushed the local councils to now fund this when their budget is far larger than the City of ColwoodB次元官网网址檚.

I think itB次元官网网址檚 great that wonderful people and organizationB次元官网网址檚 have donated funds to ensure crossing guards.

But elected officials and senior bureaucrats have budgets to oversee and be accountable for.

If they are short of dollars due to provincial downloading or otherwise, they need to face those challenges, not assume because municipalities still have the right of property taxation, that this should just be shuffled off to local ratepayers to absorb. After all, what will be next, funding the pay raises for the teachers with property tax dollars?

Ernie Robertson

Councillor

Colwood