Dear editor,
On June 9, a vote will be held in Crossfield regarding the location of the new Town office. Some clarifications are needed.
First, although the vote is being held under the Local Authorities Election Act, it is not a plebiscite or a referendum, and the results of the vote are not binding. At best, the vote is merely a survey of public opinion.
Second, the question of the vote is worded on a false premise – that the new Town office will also include a new library. This has not been decided, and in fact is a separate issue apart from the issue of the vote, which is location. The library need not be, nor should be, part of the administration building. That said, the vote has an internal contradiction. One of the choices offered on the vote (the corner of 2A and 574) violates the false premise, as the library will not locate across the tracks.
Third, any good public opinion survey would offer the choice of “none of the above” or would allow survey responders the opportunity to write in their own answer if none of the other choices are satisfactory.
Regardless, I encourage all eligible voters to express their opinion on June 9. What percentage of voter turnout should we expect? The debate isn’t over. Perhaps a referendum will be added to the ballot in the municipal election later this year.
Clifford Hurt, Crossfield
