Kokomo — For the past 12 months, a dozen Howard County citizens have been at the forefront of discussions into government consolidation as a way to reduce costs and increase efficiencies.
The Citizens Committee for Consolidation was organized by the Howard County commissioners with three appointments each made by Howard County, Kokomo, Greentown and Russiaville.
The first tasks given to the CCC was to outline the merger of the city and county dispatch centers and the Municipal Sanitation and Sewer System, or MS4 programs.
Late last year, after more than two decades of discussion, an interlocal agreement was signed between Kokomo and Howard County to merge the dispatch centers. The CCC recommended a $1.4 million budget, with Kokomo paying 70 percent of the costs based on the number of calls received. Additionally, the CCC recommended that dispatch be controlled by the sheriff.
Board recommendations that have not been implemented included purchasing products for countywide use and merging four tourism organizations. In recent months, the CCC has been looking at the reform of local government.
Isabella Chism, president of the CCC, recognized the importance of the dispatch center agreement. She said Monday she considered the first year to have been a success but for different reasons than most people.
“I think we have been most successful because just now we’re starting to see the public become more interested,” Chism said. “The public is asking questions and attending meetings with an open mind. They trust the committee to provide honest answers and not just rhetoric.”
Chism said the CCC plans to obtain as much information as possible about consolidation of government offices and to share it with the public.
“We’re just beginning to outline the services that have to be provided,” she said of government entities. “We’re looking at the government structure and the best way to provide those services.”
Chism said, when the CCC was first formed, the 12 members didn’t know each other, but as the group started working together, they were able to talk things out.
“We looked at the pluses and minuses,” she said. “We want to do the best thing for the county, that is the underlying push and drive.”
Chism said she is concerned that, if a committee is formed under the state Government Modernization Act, there would be a one-year time frame to complete the process.
“I think that would throw up a roadblock to citizen participation,” she said. “People will think the decisions have been made.”
Commissioner Bill Thompson said the CCC accomplished something in merging the dispatch centers that elected officials could not.
“There is an excellent mix of people,” he said of the CCC membership. “It’s a diverse group of people from throughout the county. Knowing the individuals, I’m not surprised at all by what they have been doing.”
Thompson said the dispatch center recommendation set a precedent that it could be accomplished.
“Right now they’re tackling government reform,” he said. “They gained the respect of the community and are gaining respect outside of Howard County. I hope other communities will use the Howard County model.”
Thompson said the CCC could work with another committee that may be formed under state guidelines and work as an advisory group to the county.
Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight said if the CCC accomplishes nothing more than the dispatch center agreement, it has been a success.
“The dispatch center was a big one,” he said. “They did a good job on that. They serve a useful purpose.”
Goodnight said everything should be explored when it comes to the future direction of government consolidation discussions.
“They rolled up their sleeves and did that,” he said of the committee’s work to bring the rural and urban communities together. “People mostly respect what they’ve done.”
Goodnight said the argument could be made either way on continuing the efforts of the CCC or forming a new committee.
“I’m OK with either direction,” he said.