Latest news with #PatGraham
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Special meeting called to address funding of Barrow Co. school resource officers
Barrow County Commissioners called a special meeting Monday night to discuss a plan to change the way school resource officers (SROs) are funded. Commissioners explained to the crowd that the county has split the cost of deputies in schools with the board of education since 1997. By 2017, the number of SROs in schools rose to 12, and both agencies agreed to pay 50/50 to fund the program. Last fall, Barrow County School System said it increased the number of SROs from 12 to 16 due to population. In September, the Board of Education announced plans to raise that number to 24 after the deadly mass shooting at Apalachee High School. However, in November, county commissioners said voters decided to exempt senior citizens of a certain age and income from paying school taxes. Because of that, some commissioners argue they cannot help the board pay for the SRO program. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'I have a fiscal responsibility to you guys as tax payers, okay?' Commissioner Kenny Shook told the crowd. Commission Chairman Pat Graham told people at the meeting, 'Senior citizens that are exempt must be ensured they aren't paying any school expenses through their county property tax bill.' Commissioner Alex Ward and Joe Goodman argued deputies' work extends beyond the campus. 'I feel we, ultimately, should be a partner with the school system,' said Goodman. The board said the current budget proposal they are considering honors a 2017 agreement to help pay for 12 SROs. Commission spokesperson Brian Stewart said expect that to change to zero at a later date, 'to ensure the citizens of Barrow County are not backdoor taxed on a school system function.' Commission Chairman Graham said the Board of Education has enough money saved up to pay for the cost of all 24 SROs. 'We know that they can do it, and we know that they will,' said Graham. Last Tuesday, Barrow County School System staff presented a budget plan to the Board of Education, and agreed the board does have enough funds to pay for the SRO program. Staff did not recommend using savings to pay for the SROs because it is a recurring cost. Instead, staff recommends the board raise property taxes to pay for it. The Board of Education has public hearings on June 12 and June 23 before a final vote on the budget June 24. County Commissioners vote on their budget June 24. Their public comment hearing happened Monday evening. TRENDING STORIES: 2 women critically injured after shooting on I-20 Driver pulls out knife on couple driving too slow in Kennesaw neighborhood, police say Georgia man drowns after caught in Gulf rip current Five people signed up to speak. One of them was Apalachee High School teacher Charity Lee. 'This year? This year some of you are questioning whether the county should fund SROs after an officer saved lives in our school? You're asking if it's worth it? Could you be more callous?' Lee told commissioners. She said she does not buy the senior tax exemption excuse. 'Our SROs are not school employees. They are fully sworn deputies, many with SWAT training who serve our campuses and the broader community,' said Lee. Barrow United members carried signs into the commissioner meeting that urged leaders to change their plan. 'Return to the table with the Board of Education immediately, and recommit to a sustainable joint investment,' Layla Renee Contreras told commissioners. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
CBC
15-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Bird electric scooter program expanding across a big swath of Hamilton Mountain
Social Sharing No longer is whipping along a city pathway with the wind in your hair just for lower-city residents – Hamilton's electric scooter program, run by Bird Canada, has expanded to the Hamilton Mountain. Bird launched the expansion May 9, according to a City of Hamilton report that said 300 scooters in total will be added to stations across Wards 6, 7, 8 and 14, south of the Niagara Escarpment and north of the Lincoln Alexander Parkway. "After two years of the program operations and data analysis, both the City and Bird Canada staff identified additional service areas for expansion," says the report, submitted by Steve Molloy, the city's acting director of transportation planning and parking. "City staff collaborated with councillors from the affected wards to create service area boundaries for the expansion." Bird Canada general manager Pat Graham says the company heard significant feedback from users who live on the Mountain and want to use the scooter to commute to work downtown. "It was a natural expansion of our current downtown operating zone," he told CBC Hamilton on Wednesday, adding that it will take until sometime in June to get the full complement of 300 new scooters stationed. "It will start small and gradually increase over time." The new scooters on the Mountain are in addition to the 600 scooters available in the lower city, from Ward 4 in the east to Dundas in the west. Bird scooters, which are reserved and paid for through an app, have been available in parts of the lower city since 2023. The company says riders must be over 16 years old to use the Hamilton system, and offers the following "tips" for scooter safety: Watch for pedestrians. Use caution and follow local safety and traffic laws. Travel in bike lanes or roads unless otherwise directed. Ride one person per Bird at a time. However, scooters with multiple riders are a common sight in Hamilton's downtown, and they can occasionally be seen on sidewalks. He also said the devices have geo-fencing technology that prevents them from going on sidewalks, but this is based on GPS and is "imperfect." The technology is also used to prevent them from using certain roads, a feature he says will be enacted in an enhanced way on the Hamilton Mountain. "There will be no-ride zones on certain streets as well as arterial roads," he said, adding that all roads with a speed limit about 50 kilometres per hour, such as the Sherman Access, will be off limits. Graham estimated that a one-off trip from Mohawk College to downtown would cost around $12, but that cost is cut significantly if users purchase a ride pass, which covers travel over a designated time period. For instance, he said a seven-day pass is $29.99, and allows 120 minutes of riding, a 43 per cent discount from the base fare. "If you are taking two rides a day for a week, it's a much friendlier option."
