Brennan David, Columbia Daily Tribune (Missouri)

Boone County officials still are sorting out the details of how the county will structure Public Safety Joint Communications and Emergency Management as they face a Jan. 22 deadline to put a sales tax to fund 911 operations on the April ballot.

Officials discussed the issues during a Boone County Commission work session yesterday. Still to be decided is how many administrators will be needed as well as the additional costs the county will face to have the new departments on its insurance policy and the departments’ effect on the county’s retirement fund.

“I think we have an idea of the cost, but some is yet to be identified,” Boone County Auditor June Pitchford said.

A panel appointed by the commission met several times in the fall to recommend direction for the commission concerning the agencies, which now are managed by the city of Columbia. The panel recommended the county take over the agencies and ask voters to approve a sales tax to fund them. The county has until Jan. 22 to sort out the exact details to place the sales tax on the April 2 ballot.

Preliminary estimates indicate a new facility that would house the two agencies, the purchase of new equipment, equipment upkeep and personnel could cost approximately $22.5 million up front, Sheriff Dwayne Carey said.

Since the summer, Carey has taken the lead in putting together the sales tax proposal. That means he, other county officials and Public Safety Joint Communications Interim Director Joe Piper and Emergency Management Interim Director Scott Olsen have been gathering information to plan for the next 50 years of both agencies.

The $22.5 million estimate includes a replacement schedule of high-priced but necessary equipment, the cost of building a facility rated to withstand an EF-5 tornado to be built on the Boone County Sheriff’s Department’s campus in north Columbia and additional personnel.

“We think we have thought of everything,” Carey said.

Of the $22.5 million, Carey estimates $16 million would be needed up front for the facility construction and technology purchases. The county could issue bonds for that amount and repay them with sales tax proceeds, but that has yet to be determined. The sales tax amount also has yet to be determined.

“It’s the perfect time to bond,” Southern District Commissioner Karen Miller said of rates.

Officials will meet again next Friday to discuss the issues. Although the panel has made its recommendations, it has yet to submit its findings to the commission. The panel’s report is scheduled to be presented to the commission at its Jan. 17 meeting to allow commissioners time to weigh the findings.

Although the commission appears to be in support of the proposed county takeover, commissioners still must place the sales tax on the ballot and do so with confidence in its calculated proposal, Presiding Commissioner Dan Atwill said.

If approved by voters, Carey said he would like to immediately hire more employees to relieve the workload of 911 call takers and dispatchers.

“It says to the voters, ‘When we say it’s immediate, we mean it’s immediate,’ ” Carey said of the need to have more call takers and dispatchers.

There has been no discussion of what to do if a sales tax proposal fails.   

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