For what seems like several years, Madison County officials have been trying to resolve how to fund a combined dispatch center.
This past week, the Madison County Council took a swing and missed in its efforts to resolve the financing issue.
It was considered a bold move in 2012 when elected officials throughout the county agreed to form a single dispatch center under the control of Madison County.
At the time, the two biggest dispatch centers in operation were in Anderson and Madison County. The merging of the two was accomplished through an agreement that made the Anderson dispatchers county employees.
For a decade, local taxing units provided funding for the operation of the dispatch center through the public safety local income tax.
The initial agreement remained in effect for a decade. But during the past two years, the cities of Elwood and Alexandria have stopped contributing to the operating costs.
Those two cities contributed a total of $180,000 per year while the city of Anderson and Madison County were each providing more than $1 million toward the operating costs.
County officials attempted to have the tax council, consisting of every city and town in the county with votes based on population, change how the dispatch center is funded.
The proposal was to take 0.1% of the funds collected immediately to pay for dispatch center operations before the remaining funds are distributed.
That was expected to raise $3.1 million toward the dispatch center’s $3.7 million budget.
County officials knew they would have to receive support from the Anderson City Council to implement the change.
Although it was hoped Anderson would support the move, Lance Stephenson, president of the city council, canceled a scheduled July 18 meeting to consider the proposal and joined Mayor Thomas Broderick Jr. in opposing the change.
The distribution change was expected to cost Anderson up to $800,000 in public safety income tax revenues — funds used to finance the police and fire departments.
Federal law requires the county to operate a dispatch center; only two are allowed in each county.
Although there are reports of local officials considering implementing a public safety answering point income tax to fund the dispatch center, no taxing entity is making the proposal.
Two things are certain: A funding solution must be found, and there can be no reduction in services.
With an election in four months, a solution needs to be reached.
© 2024 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.