WILL THE STARK COUNTY'S 9-1-1 FUNDING MAKE IT TO THE STARK COUNCIL ON GOVERNMENTS (SCOG)?

Recently, yours truly had a conversation with Commissioner Todd Bosley in which the topic of funding for the Stark County Council of Governments' (SCOG) came up.

Stark Countians will recall that Bosley spearheaded an effort to "impose" a sales tax increase of 0.50 of one percent in December, 2008.  The sales pitch for the sales tax was the repair of what he and many Stark County emergency force leaders tab as being a "broken 9-1-1 system."

However, a significant added reason (which was pushed into the background in justifying the tax) was getting more revenue for Stark County government general fund operations.

When "Vote No Increased Taxes" group got the retention or non-retention of the tax issue on the November, 2009 ballot, the pro-retention forces totally focused on the 9-1-1 aspect of the tax as being "the" reason why the tax should be retained.

Shortly after county voters overwhelmingly voted not to retain the tax (about 2 to 1 against retention), county commissioners began differing over putting the remaining revenue to be collected 50/50 into a 9-1-1 fund and the county general revenue fund.

Before former Commissioner Tom Harmon left office, he and Bosley had a public meeting difference over the division.  His successor Steve Meeks (joined by Commissioner Pete Ferguson) adopted the Harmon position and some of the early-on 9-1-1 designated money ended up in the Stark County general fund.

So why is the topic coming up again?

Because Bosley fears that if the money is not actually transferred to SCOG before he leaves office on December 31st (he is running for state representative for the Ohio House - the 50th - against Republican Todd Snitchler), the money or parts of it will never make it to SCOG.

Really?

Is Bosley's concern well founded?

The SCPR thinks so.

If the planned renewal of 0.25 of one percent sales tax does not fly by the May, 2011 election, Stark County departments of government are looking at about 30% to 35% in "across-the-board" cuts in 2012.

It seems to logical to The Report that if the "9-1-1" share of the money is still accessible to the commissioners after Bosley leaves office and the renewal does not pass, then the temptation to divert the money - or at least some of it - to the general fund will be strong.

If such were to happen, Stark Countians are likely to be looking at a scaled down re-work of 9-1-1, and if that were to happen, then taxpayers would be in a "We told you so" mode.

So look for Bosley to bring this matter up in the several months.

There could be a real donnybrook between commissioners in the offing!

STARK COUNTIANS HAVE INVOLUNTARILY PROVIDED MILLIONS TO CENTRALIZED DISPATCH; WILL THEY VOLUNTARILY VOTE FOR 9-1-1 TO GET $100,000 MORE?

Back in December, 2008 Stark Countians were "muscled" into paying an additional sales/use tax to take Stark's fragmented 9-1-1 emergency services and convert it into a centralized system.

The SCPR believes that when Stark Commissioners (Bosley, a Democrat, Harmon, s Democrat and Vignos, a Republican) voted to impose the tax, they jaundiced the voting public against any county revenue measures.  As a consequence of the imposition, The Report believes county officials will have a difficult time getting "even" a renewal of a 0.25 of a percent tax which certainly be on the ballot this November. (emphasis added).

And for the record, Commissioner Vignos could have blocked the tax from becoming permanent, by voting no.  But for the successful ballot initiative by the Vote No Increased Taxes Committee, the tax would be an enduring piece of the Stark County revenue scheme of things.

Vignos concurrence in the unanimous commissioner vote makes it impossible (in the name of fair play) for Republican commissioner candidates (Creighton and Walters) from making the issue a partisan one in November.

Voters soon realized (after the December, 2008 imposition) that the 9-1-1 centralization/enhancement was not the only beneficiary of the imposed tax.  Somewhat hidden (let's say de-emphasized) was the fact that one-half of the monies generated were designated to go to the Stark County general fund.

As it turns out only 1/4th of the money collected went to 9-1-1.  The other 3/4ths of the money collected went to Stark's general fund.

While Commissioners Ferguson and Meeks were not in office when the imposed tax was approved, they opposed Commissioner Bosley in his efforts to make the split of revenues a 50/50 proposition.

In all fairness to Ferguson and Meeks, 9-1-1 Governance Committee chair Randy Gonzalez said that 9-1-1 could be transitioned into a centralized operation without the full 50% of the imposed tax revenues.

Now comes word that a northeast Ohio non-profit Efficient Government Now (EFFGOV)is handing out money to northeast Ohio governments who commit to efficiency in their operations.

Here is more about EFFGOV from its website:

EfficientGovNow is presented by the Fund for Our Economic Future  as part of the ANEO Choice Awards.

The EfficientGovNow program is a competitive grant awards program that encourages and accelerates government collaboration, cooperation and efficiency by providing rounds of funding to government collaboration projects as selected by the residents of Northeast Ohio.

The Catch?

It takes a vote of the people to put their community effort (e.g. Stark County 9-1-1 centralization) in the top three of all the northeast Ohio local government contenders for a $100,000 grant.

So Stark Countians can do voluntarily what many (2/3rds of the voters on repeal of the imposed 0.50 of a percent sales/use tax) feels was involuntarily foisted upon them.

And it will not cost any Stark Countian "one red cent."

All anyone has to do is to go to the EFFGOV website and vote for the Stark County proposal.

Here are the steps:

 

To make it easier for SCPR readers here is a direct link: CLICK HERE.

Simply follow the steps outlined on the EFFGOV "vote page."

See the video below of 9-1-1 Project Manager Joseph Concatto making a plea to Stark County commissioners to support an effort of encouraging Stark Countians to vote.

PERRY TOWNSHIP: A NEW FRONT IN THE WAR BETWEEN GONZALEZ & PETERSON OVER 9-1-1 CENTRALIZED DISPATCH?

The SCPR believes that "the big elephant in the room" in the "disagreement" going on in Perry Township between Trustee Craig Chessler on the one hand and Trustees Anna Capaldi and Lee Laubacher on the other is in reality a proxy political fight on behalf of the "behind the curtains" real contenders Randy Gonzalez and Rich Peterson.  (See Perry Township dispatch contract still in limbo, The Repository, April 07, 2010, Benjamin Duer).


It appears to The Report that Chessler (a member of the Stark County Council on Governments - SCOG) is a close political ally of SCOG Governance Committee chair Randy Gonzalez (who is also chairman of the Stark County Democratic Party) and of Perry Fiscal Officer Joe Schlegel and is in reality taking the lead in another manifestation of Gonzalez's long term fight with Nimishillen Fire Chief Rich Peterson over the configuration of 9-1-1 centralized dispatch.


The apparent issue is a 71% increase claimed by Schlegel to have been made by Peterson on Perry last year for dispatch services.  Really?


For the time being, the SCPR is not buying Chessler's and Schlegel's contention that this is a money fight.


The SCPR believes that this fight is a spillover from Gonzalez versus Peterson and that Stark Countians will not hear the end of it until centralized 9-1-1 dispatch has become a reality and CenCom has been absorbed into the centralized unit.


As a sidenote, the SCPR has learned from Stark Emergency Management Agency head Tim Warstler that 9-1-1 project manager Joe Concatto is on the verge of receiving a quote from AT&T on its projected role on the 9-1-1 configuration.


Meanwhile, expect the Peterson/Gonzalez fight to continue to be waged on one front or another over the next 18 months or so.


Nimishillen Fire Chief Rich Peterson and his sponsors - the Nimishillen Township trustees - are not going away quietly on this fight.  They have too much invested in time, effort and township financial resources to just capitulate to the SCOG Governance Committee.

COMMISSIONERS BOSLEY & HARMON DISAGREE OVER AMOUNT OF "IMPOSED" SALES TAX THAT WILL GO TO 9-1-1 CENTRALIZED DISPATCH. HOW WILL COMMISSIONER PETE FERGUSON VOTE?

It appears that Stark County commissioners Bosley and Harmon get along.

And they may well - on a personal basis and on many policy issues.

But on 9-1-1 funding from the commissioner imposed sales/use tax (December, 2008) which was repealed by Stark County voters on November 3rd past, they clearly are at loggerheads.

How will the stand-off be resolved?

By Pete Ferguson's vote, that's how.

If Bosley and Harmon continue to see the matter differently, as the SCPR believes they will, then the question becomes how will Pete vote.

The SCPR's prediction?

Ferguson will vote the Harmon view.

What is the basis of the SCPR prediction?

First, Harmon and Ferguson have had a much longer relationship than Bosley and Ferguson.  And, make no mistake about it, public officials who have long standing connections don't jettison those connections easily.

Second, Stark County departments of government who survive, at least in part, and many - totally, on general fund revenues are looking at 10/15/20% reductions come the 2010 budgeting process because of the recent imposed sales tax repeal.

The Report believes that the Harmon/Ferguson relationship factor and the expense cutting measures of Stark County government will coalesce to compel Ferguson to vote with Harmon, if Bosley sticks with his position.

However, SCPR can see a scenario of Bosley coming over to the Harmon view.  He does have a re-election bid coming up in less than a year now.  The SCPR will be looking for indications that he is beginning factoring his political future into the decision on "what happens to the collected revenues" from the tax.

Once the "stark" Stark County financial realities hit home with Bosley and sees that draconian government services cuts might not be all that good in an election year, he could all of a sudden see the the Harmon light.

After all, as Harmon pointed out in an e-mail exchange today, the SCOG 9-1-1 group has not requested any 2010 collected money in a budget presented for public consumption at the Stark Council of Governments Governance Committee this past Thursday.

But before Ferguson decides how to vote (assuming that Bosley does not flip), he might want to consider the following scenario.

Looking at Project Manager Concatto's budget figures, there is the distinct probability that there will be almost $1 million is excess revenues over expenses.  Couple this with Bosley's desire to have 9-1-1 get about $1.2 million more as its share of imposed sales/use tax revenues (2010) and you end up with $2.2 million in unbudgeted expenses.

What to do with it?

Concatto tells the SCPR that it will take $3.2 million (maybe less because a reassessment of need might indicate a lesser number of radios) to buy the remaining necessary 800 megahertz radios required to fully implement the up-to-date radio system started by Sheriff Swanson.  The new radio system is key, if the revamped 9-1-1 is to work properly.  Eventually, the 800 system will be integrated into a statewide system.

At worst,  splicing the monies together,  leaves the Stark Council of Governments (SCOG) Governance Committee about $1 million short of having a full complement of 800 megahertz radios.

The SCPR has to believe that public safety grant opportunities exist to bring in the $1 million.

Staffing (i.e. dispatchers and supervisors) costs will be some $4.3 million plus other ancillary costs of $0.8 million will make for total annual operational costs totaling $5.1 million.

Where does that money come from?

They are to be paid by user fees or some equivalent thereof.

Presently, Concatto says that Stark's political subdivisions (villages, townships and cities) are paying $6.8 million.

So subtracting $5.1 million from $6.8 million saves political subdivisions $1.7 million.

What Commissioner Pete Ferguson needs to do is look at the numbers as he said he will do in coming to his decision of whether to go with Bosley or Harmon.

The numbers are there to possibly do a "complete" 9-1-1 conversion to countywide 9-1-1 without the need to do anything in terms of a tax issue - in the short term.

Ferguson has a lot of pressure on him.

Does he opt to salvage the 2010 money for general fund purposes (the Harmon approach) or does he elect to finish up the 9-1-1 conversion (the Bosley plan)?

Harmon and Bosley have their supporters.  Harmon, most county workers.  Bosley, the emergency worker corp and, very likely, the general public

Which way will Pete go?

Below is a video showing Bosley and Harmon expressing their positions