Johnson supervisors continue push for communications center changes

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is continuing to seek changes to how a new countywide emergency communications center is run.

The supervisors have taken issue with several aspects of the center, particularly its budget, which they believe is too high.

The joint emergency communications center is governed by a seven-member policy board with representatives appointed by the county, Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty and the Johnson County Emergency Management Agency.

On Thursday, the supervisors voted 5-0 to send a letter to the other entities stating some of their concerns . Chief among them is a desire to have the communications center board made up entirely of elected officials.

Currently, all but Johnson County Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Wilson are elected officials. The supervisors don't believe someone who uses the services and equipment provided by the joint emergency communications center (JECC), and isn't elected by voters, should have one of seven votes on its budget.

“The proximity of the offices and the day to day presence of the Coordinator at the JECC has the potential to lead to confusion regarding the Coordinator's role as Policy Board member,” the letter says. (Read a draft of the letter below.)

The joint emergency communications center, which opened this past summer, combines dispatchers and, soon, radio systems for public safety and emergency medical personnel in the county.

The communications center board will hold a public hearing at 8 a.m. Friday and plans to vote on its budget for next fiscal year. The meeting is at the center, 4529 Melrose Ave., Iowa City.

The most recent budget draft calls for just shy of $3 million in spending, which would be an increase of 28.7 percent from this year. The proposed tax levy is 84 cents per $1,000 of taxable value, compared with 70 cents this year.

Further cuts are expected to be made Friday, however, and board Chairman Mike Wright has said he'd like to get a budget supported by a levy of about 77 cents per $1,000 of taxable value, which would generate $2.66 million.