Thursday, November 5, 2009

THE FUTURE OF CENTRALIZED DISPATCH? NIMISHILLEN FIRE CHIEF THINKS THE COUNTY OUGHT TO SHUT DOWN THE SCOG GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE PROJECT



If Nimishillen Fire Chief Rich Peterson was making the call, the SCPR is clear that the 9-1-1 centralized revamp effort headed up by former Canton services director Joe Concatto (Creighton administration) would have been shut down yesterday.

Yours truly talked with Peterson today and he had positive words for the "Vote No Increased Taxes Committee" for stopping Stark's centralized dispatch by cutting off the money.

But Peterson said he has mixed feelings about the defeat of the sales/use tax initiative because he does believe that 9-1-1 needs fixing (just not in the way proposed by Commissioner Bosley et al) and he does believe that Stark County's general fund needs help.

The problem for Peterson and many of his fellow safety forces scattered throughout Stark's villages, cities and townships?

The "overkill" county plan that until yesterday was being put together by Randy Gonzalez in his role as chairman of the Stark County Council on Governments (SCOG) Governance Committee.

No one will say it, but it is becoming more and more apparent to the SCPR that the dissatisfaction with Gonzalez's role stems from him being chairman of the Stark County Democratic Party and the suspicion that politics and the "good ole boy" phenomenon is at play under Gonzalez leadership.

Could the 9-1-1 process be benefited, if Gonzalez would remove himself from the mix?

Probably.

Does the SCPR believe that Gonzalez would sacrifice himself "for the good of the [Stark County] order?"

No.

Perhaps the Stark County commissioners will "step-up-to-the-plate" and remove Gonzalez from any formal role in the 9-1-1 reconfiguration rate?


Is it realistic to think that Democrats Bosley, Ferguson and Harmon would ask the party chairman to step aside?

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