Proposition 2 - Consolidated Dispatch - Not This Way

There are circumstances where consolidation of government services makes complete sense. Emergency dispatch is one of them, and we should all support it. How we fund it is another matter. 

The allocation of dispatch service costs, based on call volume, is straightforward. A person has to take that call. If someone calls 911 to report a fire in Sun Valley, it costs the same to process it through the dispatch center as a 911 call for a fire in Hailey. That is why the user group, which included representatives of all cities, endorsed the concept of funding dispatch salaries based on a percentage of usage. 

Now along comes another alternative, at the request of the City of Hailey, which has two significant problems that have received little attention. 

First, this ballot measure is an additional new tax on the taxpayers of each city and the County. It will be an incremental increase in the County budget of approximately 4% each year, above what is already being spent by the County on dispatch. The $835,000 proposed to be raised each year from this levy alone is more than 10% of Blaine County’s annual property tax collections.  The City of Sun Valley has supported the emergency dispatch center out of its existing city budget for years. 

Second, this override levy will allocate the dispatch costs based solely on the assessed value of your property. If it passes, that 911 call to report a fire in Sun Valley will cost Sun Valley taxpayers $48.65 while that 911 call for a fire in Hailey will cost Hailey taxpayers $8.64 (that is not a typo). If you live in Ketchum the call will cost $28.12 and if you live in the County, outside a city, the same call will cost County taxpayers $28.26. 

It is hard to find fairness or equity in that plan for anyone, especially when an easily traceable cost allocation system, based on usage, already exists. Now is not the time to be raising new taxes and increasing the County budget at the expense of struggling businesses and property taxpayers.

Some see the passage of this Proposition as a quick and simplistic solution. In reality there are many complicated issues which must be addressed, including long-term funding, cost control, joint powers agreements, and governance. Mediation, which the City of Sun Valley has requested, could offer potential solutions to these issues. My hope is that if Proposition 2 fails, a sincere mediation process will find long term solutions that won’t raise our taxes and will make the consolidated dispatch center a shining example of regional cooperation. 

Vote NO on Proposition 2 on Tuesday, November 4th.

Here are links to two stories concerning the Sun Valley City Council’s action on the consolidated dispatch issue:

Idaho Mountain Express  9-24-08 - Sun Valley seeks outside help

SunValleyOnline  9-23-08 - Sun Valley rejects dispatch payment change