The new model, under consideration by the County Council, wouldn’t result in an income tax increase for residents. But it has raised questions about whether local entities should help pay for the 911 center and how quickly the changes should be enacted.
A public meeting of Mishawaka, South Bend and county officials to discuss the proposal will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at the County-City Building in downtown South Bend.
Advocates say the plan would spread out the costs of the 911 center in a more equitable way. About $1.6 million in income tax money collected from county residents would be diverted from local entities to help cover the center’s $8.2 million in annual operating costs. The county would pay $3 million, South Bend would cover $2.7 million and Mishawaka would pay about $1 million, according to county calculations.
The center is now funded only by St. Joseph County, Mishawaka and South Bend through a 2014 agreement. That agreement, which is set to expire next year, doesn’t draw funding from townships, libraries, Transpo, South Bend International Airport or other local entities.
Debra Futa, director of the St. Joseph County Public Library, said the proposal moved forward without the library’s input. The library system, which stands to lose $500,000 annually under the plan, will close early Thursday for a “Night without Libraries” to draw attention to the controversy and so employees can attend a public meeting on the funding change.
According to Futa, the lost revenue would equal one year of operating costs for a library neighborhood branch, such as the LaSalle, Tutt, River Park and Western branches. She described the neighborhood libraries are “part of the glue” that hold their communities together.
Mishawaka-Penn-Harris Library has also started its own advocacy campaign against the proposal, with director Donna Meeks in a public flyer expressing disappointment over the “unexpected hit.”
County Commissioner Andy Kostielney, one of the three members of the board that governs the 911 center, said the decision to pursue the funding change came at a meeting last month, with approval from him and Mishawaka Mayor Dave Wood. The third member of the board, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, wasn’t at the meeting and didn’t cast a vote.
“South Bend, Mishawaka and the county are bearing the entirety of the expense,” Kostielney said. “None of us are set up budgetarily to do that.”
The proposal, he said, is the “most equitable way to fund this.”
“Every citizen across the entire county uses this service, so it makes sense to fund it in a way that everyone participates in this,” Kostielney said, adding that tax entities frequently make decisions that impact others when it comes to issuing bonds for projects such as the construction of a new Main Library.
The County Council discussed the proposal at a budget meeting Tuesday night, floating the idea of providing grants from the 911 center reserve fund to help alleviate the financial hit to the SJCPL but not settling on a final course of action.
Other elected officials are unsure of the proposal or are willing to consider alternatives.
Mike Dobson, a Clay Township trustee, criticized what he said was a lack of transparency and input. The change, if approved, could mean $130,000 less to fund the Clay Fire Territory, including new equipment. He did not learn about the plan until mid-August.
“We were made aware of it when the base runner was already going around third. That’s not typically how things should have to get done,” Dobson said.
South Bend Common Council president Tim Scott said he wants to look at all options to fund the 911 center. He isn’t ready to make a call on the funding proposal and wants to hear from Buttigieg and other city officials.
“Some of these smaller communities and other funding entities have concerns, and they need to have input as well,” Scott said.
Buttigieg’s spokesman, Mark Bode, said the mayor is fine with the proposal but is open to alternate options “on the best way to equitably and sustainably fund” the center.
Source: County financial calculations
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