Howard County officials believe the recommendations on merging the Kokomo and county dispatch centers made by a citizen’s committee is a good starting point.
For almost three decades, discussions have taken place on consolidating the two dispatch centers, both housed at the Howard County jail, but a deal has never been finalized.
The Citizen’s Committee for Consolidation recommended the sheriff have oversight of the operations. The combined service would have a proposed budget of $1.4 million and cost sharing would be determined based on where emergency calls originate.
The recommendation is a compromise between what city and county officials proposed. Kokomo proposed a $1.4 million budget, to have the county oversee operations and cost sharing based on population. Howard County wanted a $1.7 million budget, a board be appointed to oversee operations and cost sharing based on calls.
“The committee provided a recommendation and outline for both entities to work out a deal,” Commissioner Tyler Moore said. “I think it is a workable outline.”
Moore said the recommendation will be provided to Nick Capozzoli, director of the Howard County dispatch center, to see if the $1.4 million budget can be made to work.
He said a board might be one of the details to be worked out.
“The funding amounts are something that can be worked out,” Moore said. “The committee had an objective view of how the split should be. We can come up with another percentage to get the city to agree.”
Moore said the main objective is that both government entities experience a cost savings.
“A group of objective people came up with the proposal and kept the politics out,” he said. “The numbers have been tossed around before. The percentage can be tweaked.”
Moore said the recommendations bring the city and county to the point where a compromise can be reached.
“Both sides are willing to reach a compromise without jeopardizing the level of services to the citizens,” he said.