Tax increase proposed for communications center

Johnson County taxpayers likely will be paying more next fiscal year for the new joint emergency communications center.

How much more is still being debated, and some of the county's supervisor who have been fierce critics of how the center is run are not happy with the initial budget proposal for fiscal 2012, which begins July 1.

“It still continues to be a concern,” said Sally Stutsman, chairwoman of the county's Board of Supervisors.

A budget draft calls for $3.3 million in spending, which is an increase of $1 million, or 43 percent, over this year. The proposed tax levy is 84 cents per $1,000 of taxable value, compared with 70 cents this year.

Mike Wright, chairman of the board that oversees the communications center, stressed that is an initial draft that was set high because once it is published the board can only keep the numbers the same or lower them.

“The board will reduce that final figure pretty substantially,” said Wright, who also sits on the Iowa City Council.

His goal is to get a budget supported by a levy of about 77 cents per $1,000 of taxable value, which would generate $2.66 million. Employee compensation, equipment purchases and maintenance are among the items projected to cost more next year.

The final budget is scheduled to be voted on Dec. 17. The board will meet this Saturday to discuss it. Already, staff has revised the budget to reduce spending by $133,000 from the initial proposal.

The joint emergency communications center, which opened this past summer, combines dispatchers and, soon, radio systems for all public safety and emergency medical personnel in the county. It's at 4529 Melrose Ave., west of Highway 218.

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

The project received nearly universal support from local officials, but several of the Johnson County supervisors have been criticizing what they see as irresponsible spending by the center's board.

That boiled over last January during a contentious meeting when it was revealed that the county had changed the center's tax levy without the knowledge of the communication center board, which has the final say over its budget.

The budget is a sensitive topic for the supervisors because the levy is collected through the county because that is the only way to implement it countywide.

The communications center board wanted to set this year's levy at 75 cents per $1,000 of taxable value, but they reduced that after the budget fight and made up the difference with reserves.

“That comes back to bite us because we didn't collect a levy based on the amount we actually needed,” Wright said.

Supervisor Rod Sullivan said county departments, continuing to deal with the fallout from the recession, have been told to keep their budgets flat.

“I'm hopeful that they (the communications center) are able to follow that path, but we'll have to see,” he said.

He and others have said they believe the center has too many managerial positions. Also, Stutsman said she feels they are spending too much buying equipment like radios for agencies not part of the organization but who want access to the county's radio traffic.

“It's just becoming a catchall for anyone who needs equipment,” she said.

Wright and Tom Jones, the center's interim executive director, said determining a budget before the center opened was difficult. Now that it's up and running, they have a better idea of what its true operating costs are, they said.

“It's a responsible group,” Wright said of the center's board. “It's a responsive group. And the county has two representatives on it. They do have a voice.”