The effort by Olds town councillors to save money wherever they can in this year's capital budget is laudable, given the current economic downturn. But if they really believe that the 57 Avenue and Highway 27 intersection is a real danger to the public, then cutting $90,000 to eliminate an advanced light to make it safer, is misguided at best.
Several councillors said the province should foot the bill for that work because Highway 27 is a provincial responsibility. So they axed it from the capital budget with the intention of lobbying the province to do the work and pay for it.
However, chief administrative officer Norm McInnis is doubtful the provincial government will do so. After all, it too is facing budgetary pressures due to the very same economic malaise Olds council is facing.
Secondly, he points out provincial officials have said the Highway 27 and 57 Avenue intersection doesn't have the traffic numbers to warrant that work. So they're almost certainly not going to undertake that project at this time either.
During debate, Coun. Mary Jane Harper indicated the town should spend the money to avoid possibly tragic consequences.
"I don't have a concern with us putting $90,000 in advanced green turning (signals) on 57 Avenue," she said. "We are going to be faced with a very horrific accident at 57 Avenue and Highway 27 where we're going to have loss of life, eventually. And I don't want it to be on our watch."
Yet in the end, council voted unanimously to make the cut.
Ninety-thousand dollars is a small part of a $4.5-million capital budget.
If an accident along the lines that Harper fears does occur, what will councillors say to those affected – and their families?
