What Happened?
Gov1 regularly provides updates on consolidation developments, in which cities, town, and counties merge departments or functions to save money. This week, the focus is on police, fire, and emergency dispatch services around the country.
Fire Department in Utica
The fire chief in Utica, New York, is considering consolidating its six stations into one firehouse. “One firehouse means one electrical bill, one water bill, one insurance bill and it keeps the overhead low,” the chief told the local media. The city has already gone from 256 firefighters down to 119, and from stations in every neighborhood to only six. The consolidation would perhaps result in new green firehouses, which would save additional money. A cost analysis is being conducted with the public safety committee, and findings will be reported next year.
911 In Indiana County
Clark County in Indiana is working to fulfill a state mandate that it consolidate five emergency dispatch centers before 2015; failure to do so could result in the loss of nearly $1 million in state funding. The mandate requires the consolidation into one primary center, with the option of a secondary center as a backup. According to reports, a fiscal board will be created to steer the consolidation effort, though some are advocating yet another operational board to address tactical issues. The new system should create efficiencies but not necessarily job losses, as many dispatchers also provide other services for the municipalities in which they work, “such as records management, secretarial duties and administrative operations.”
Dispatch in Wisconsin
The city of Chippewa Falls and Chippewa County, in Wisconsin, recently agreed to consolidate emergency dispatch services. According to a press release, dispatch for police and fire services will be consolidated into the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Department. The consolidation was apparently under discussion for “many” years, and already has informal approval from both the city’s council and the county’s board; formal approval is planned for November. The county expects no interruption of service during the merger, and both the city and the county are expected to benefit from cost savings.
Sheriff and Police in Baton Rouge
A campaign is underway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to merge the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office with the Baton Rouge Police Department. Led by a local businessman and political activist, the merger is argued to be a more efficient and effective way of combating local crime. According to local reports, the sheriff supports the concept, which is part of a larger governmental reorganization plan; privatizing the Public Works Department is apparently also under consideration.
Additional Consolidation Efforts
Though not emergency services, two other developments merited inclusion in this week’s update:
First, according to reports, the Fairfield, Connecticut Building Division decided to consolidate its inspections schedule to Monday through Thursday. Consolidated schedules have been utilized in other municipalities with success, especially when staff reductions have stretched the capabilities of departments. That was the case in Fairfield; building inspectors will assume a nine-hour workday, Monday through Thursday. Friday inspections will be available, but they will cost extra, and are available on a limited basis.
And second, the auditor general of Pennsylvania is considering consolidating the state’s 2,600 municipal pensions into a single, statewide system. “Pennsylvania has too many small and under-funded municipal pension plans that could cost taxpayers millions of dollars to maintain,” the auditor noted in a release. “Consolidation is the best way to preserve benefits for retirees and future retirees while protecting taxpayers from higher tax bills they can’t afford.” According to media reports, another possible solution is to maintain the current system, but consolidate administration under one entity. “It’s an easy call when you’re just talking about reducing administrative fees,” one city councilman told the local media.
Additional coverage of consolidation efforts can be found in the left-hand column.