Mayor Graham Calls on O’Fallon City Council to Reinstate Funding for Crossing Guard Program
O’Fallon, Illinois – Mayor Gary L. Graham has called upon the O’Fallon City Council to reinstate funding for the Crossing Guard Program in O’Fallon, Illinois.
On April 4, 2016, O’Fallon’s Aldermen unanimously voted to pass the 2017 City Budget, which did not include funding for the Crossing Guard Program. The City Council reviewed and discussed the budget several times. First in the Public Safety Committee meeting on March 14, 2016; second, at the Finance Committee meeting on March 28, 2016; and finally, on April 4, 2016 at the City Council Meeting when the full City Council voted unanimously to pass the budget with no recommendation to fund the Crossing Guard Program.
“This week, an Alderman announced his candidacy for mayor, in the same paper he insinuates to residents that the City is not concerned about the safety of our children,” Graham said. “This Alderman cast his votes to approve the budget without once voicing his objection to not funding the crossing guards.”
“The safety of our children and families has been and remains the City’s number one priority,” said Graham. “I will not let the safety of our children be used for political purposes. It is irresponsible and reckless to instill fear in families.”
On Friday, June 10, 2016, Mayor Graham sent a letter to every Alderman asking them to authorize O’Fallon’s Administration to offer the O’Fallon School Districts $42,000 in funding for them to administer a crossing guard program.
This proposal was part of discussions that the Mayor and Police Department had been in with the School District officials, but the details were still being worked out.
“After talking with parents this past week, I am accelerating those discussions and formally asking the Council to authorize the City to offer the School Districts the $42,000 in funding to administer the program for the 2016/17 school year,” Graham said.
Mayor Graham’s letter to the Council can be viewed at http://www.ofallon.org/home/files/mayor-grahams-letter-to-council-re-crossing-guard-program-6-10-16.
The decision by the Council to discontinue the program was based on findings included in a comprehensive study performed by the O’Fallon Police Department in August 2015, which the alderman were provided eight months prior to the budget proposals they reviewed and approved in April. The Crossing Guard Program Report Memorandum can be viewed at: http://www.ofallon.org/home/files/crossing-guard-program-memo-2016.