Council questions $230,000 contribution to commission

The Washington City Council discussed the future of the Washington County Communications Commission, and specifically the money it gives to the commission, at its meeting Wednesday night. The councilors were reacting to a proposal by commissioner Adam Mangold to disband the commission and turn its duties over to the Washington County Sheriff.

City Attorney Craig Arbuckle reminded the councilors that the city provides one-third of the commission?s budget. The commission?s budget for 2011-2012 is about $630,000, and the City of Washington contributes about $230,000 of that. He asked the council if the city should continue to give that money for emergency communications in the event the commission is disbanded and the city loses representation.

The amount Washington pays the commission, and the amount all the other towns and rural residents pay, is determined by a formula. The formula sums the percentage of the county population in the city, percentage of calls and percentage of assessed value and then divides by three. That figure is then the percentage of the total bill that each city must pay. In Washington?s case, it has 21 percent of the assessed value, 52 percent of the calls and 34 percent of the population, which, when averaged, equals 36 percent. Washington is responsible for paying 36 percent of the commission?s budget.

The City of Washington has two representatives, Merlin Hagie and Bob Shepherd, on the six-member commission. Washington County has two representatives, Mangold and Wes Rich. The other towns in the county also have two representatives, Paul Shelangoski of Brighton and Ryan Miller of Wellman.

?All the towns in the county and the city of Washington agreed to go on that formula for determining the cost to each town,? said Arbuckle.

Councilor Karen Wilson-Johnson asked Arbuckle, ?If the commission is disbanded and we have no say in anything, does that bring up the possibility of altering this??

?It brings up the necessity of addressing it, not the possibility,? said Arbuckle.

Shepherd said, ?If it?s disbanded, the 28E [agreement] is gone and we no longer have any guidelines. We will start over.?

?And they realize that?? asked Wilson-Johnson.

?I don?t think so,? said Shepherd.

?I haven?t heard open discussion to that regard,? said Mayor Sandra Johnson.

?We don?t know what they realize,? said Arbuckle. ?I happen to think this is a major development.?

Shepherd said, ?My concern, and I have made known some of it, is the budget is not trivial. What?s the biggest thing any body does? What?s the biggest thing the board of supervisors does? The budget.?

Shepherd also said that having a large number of people supervise communications is preferable to one person doing it.

?When you go to one person, I don?t care who you are and how good that person is, they can?t always think of every possible thing,? said Shepherd. ?By having more people look at it, you?re at an advantage.?