Started on Feb 28, 2012 by Jill Miller Zimon
The dispatch debate involving Ohio's Marion County & the City of Marion has produced this quote from a council member of the latter, "I can't reconcile the idea why we would raise taxes to save money." Could that ever make sense?
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Ann Arbor area officials say more privatization of local services possible
As municipalities and school districts continue to face budget constraints, there will be more pressure to privatize services, a panel of local officials said Monday night. "Your school secretary may be a contracted employee in the future," said Susan Baskett, an Ann Arbor school board trustee.
Posted Feb 28, 2012
Jill Miller Zimon - shared a link: "Ann Arbor area officials say more privatization of local services possible"
Jill Miller Zimon - "The dispatch debate involving Ohio's Marion County & the City of Marion has produced this..."
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This article, "Marion County sheriff's consolidation plan prompts city council debate," in today's Marion Star could not better encompass the competing views of how to get - and how many ways there are - to get to the efficient government provision of services to a political subdivision's taxpayers. The two competing plans:
The County's plan:
[Marion County Sheriff] Bailey's plan is to ask county commissioners to put on the ballot a 0.25 percent sales tax to fund the consolidation of dispatching and 9-1-1 services at First Consolidated Fire Department's station at Pole Lane Road and Ohio 309. First Consolidated has applied for a Department of Homeland Security grant of $998,000 to equip the facility. Bailey said his proposal would yearly save $850,000 for the city, $484,000 for the sheriff's office, $192,000 for Marion Township and $132,260 for the emergency management agency, which would relocate its emergency operations center to the dispatching site.
The City's plan:
[Marion] Mayor Scott Schertzer has a plan he's said would save taxpayers $144,169 per year by housing a dispatching center at the city's existing dispatching facility and hiring seven more dispatchers. The city would contract with the sheriff's office at an estimated cost of $280,000 per year, and the Marion Township Fire Department for an estimated $180,000 per year. The city's current budget for dispatching services is $721,000.
Is this sounding familiar? Even within the Civic Commons, there are conversations that are kissing cousins to this one re: the pushmepullyou of government service provision perform.
How do we resolve these situations?
TogglePosted Feb 28, 2012