New Board to Tackle 9-1-1 Sales Tax Logistics
Brennan David, Columbia Daily Tribune (Missouri)
A panel of nine Boone County residents is being formed to make recommendations to the Boone County Commission regarding a proposed 911 sales tax.
The county commission is expected to approve the 911 Blue Ribbon advisory panel next week. Made up of residents with backgrounds in public safety, law, accounting and other fields, it would make recommendations on the future direction of 911 service, as well as emergency management and intergovernmental software, by December.
The Public Safety Joint Communications board — made up of Boone County agencies that use 911 and its dispatch services, including law enforcement, ambulance services, fire departments and hospitals – – manages 911 services. However, County Commissioners Dan Atwill and Karen Miller said the board was moving too slowly toward the goal of putting a sales tax proposal on the April ballot.
“My objective was to have everyone on the same page about this. That is very difficult to do,” Atwill said of the board. “Everyone has an interest that is unique. Maybe some have suspicion about the motivation of others.”
Miller said board members had too much of a “how does this affect me?” approach to solving the 911 issue, and that was slowing down the process as April approached.
The county commission is leading the effort because it is the group that would place the sales tax on the ballot, Atwill said.
The panel will first be asked to jump a hurdle the joint communications board could not. It must decide whether adopting a state statute that provides a map for establishing 911 sales taxes and boards to govern that funding is the best avenue, or whether creating a new agreement between government agencies so the board can craft its function and responsibilities through ballot language is a better option.
The statute would create a new political subdivision that can be inefficient and costly: A retirement system would have to be established, as well as additional personnel to manage human resources and payroll. The cost of elections can be high as well. That direction also would not include funding for the Office of Emergency Management.
A new agreement between the agencies would alleviate the issue of funding for emergency management. The agency would become a department within county government, such as the sheriff’s department or auditor, but other complications have been noted.
Some board members previously favored a new agreement because they could shape it to give the user agencies authority on the board, as is the case now. Those user agencies, however, are the same ones that have not been able to solve the current issues.
“We need to hear from an independent body,” Miller said.
The board in May began discussing a reorganization of its agreement and new funding sources after the Columbia City Council’s removal of the joint communications director from her post without a recommendation from the board. The commission appears to have done the same by appointing a panel to decide the board’s future direction, but commission members said that is not the case. Panel members will solicit recommendations from the board in making decisions, Atwill said.
Sheriff Dwayne Carey said he supports the creation of the new panel.
“It’s important the public know there is a dire need” for new funding sources, he said.
“We couldn’t find a consensus” as a board, “but we have to address this issue. I think what” Atwill “is doing is smart.”
The proposed panel appointees are Bart Weshler, Rusty Antel, Lynn Behrns, Ted Boehm, Joel Bullard, Ty Jacobs, Mike Lyman, R.D. Porter and Steven Smith.
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