Liberty makes Girard offer too attractive to pass up

The financially strapped city of Girard finds itself in the enviable position of being able to play "let's make a deal" with Liberty Township and Trumbull County on 911 telephone emergency service. Both the township and county governments would like Liberty to join its system, and thus far it appears that Liberty has the inside track.
Although Mayor James Melfi, who has been in discussions with township Administrator Patrick J. Ungaro for several months, acknowledges that his city would save money with the proposal on the table, he is not certain when a decision will be made.
While Melfi and city council weigh the pros and cons of such a deal, they would be wise to meet with Tim Gladis, the county's 911 director, to hear what he is proposing. Trumbull County 911 dispatches for 22 of 24 townships and Cortland, West Farmington, Orangeville, McDonald and Yankee Lake, and the sheriff's department. Warren city and township, Niles, Girard, Liberty, Hubbard, Newton Falls and Lordstown handle their own answering and dispatching operations.
Gladis' goal of bringing all the communities in the county under his 911 umbrella stems from the fact that his operation had been hard hit by the across-the-board budget cuts imposed by the county commissioners. Layoff notices in the 911 center had been issued to go into effect March 14, but they were rescinded after members of the Trumbull County Township Association approved a plan to give county commissioners the money needed to keep the employees working. Last year, the center had a budget of $2.1 million, but it faced a shortfall of $614,000 this year after the budget cuts imposed by the commissioners.
Weathersfield Township has chosen not to participate in the early payment plan and is considering other dispatching options.
Gladis' goal of bringing in the other communities that have not been a part of the countywide system may be affected by the cost.
Cost comparison
In proposing that Liberty take over dispatching responsibilities for Girard, township Administrator Ungaro noted that the city would save $95,000 a year, whereas it would cost the city $180,000 to enter the county 911 system and a monthly fee that would be more than what Girard would pay Liberty.
Girard, which is under state mandated fiscal emergency, currently has three full-time dispatchers and a fourth dispatching slot filled by a police captain or patrolman. These individuals would not lose their jobs because the policeman would be returned to the streets, while the other three could be moved into positions available in non-general fund departments.
The proposal that Liberty has put on the table is too good for Girard to turn down, but the mayor and city council should compare it to what Trumbull County 911 is offering, and then make a decision.
For his part, Gladis must be prepared to provide a comparison of all emergency dispatching services in the county so taxpayers can decide whether it is legitimate to view the cost of the county's operation against what it costs the city of Warren and other communities. Recent news reports have suggested that while the Trumbull County 911 and the city of Warren answered approximately the same number of calls, it cost the county about twice as much to operate its system. Gladis counters that the county dispatches for police and fire and also answers calls on the seven-digit number, whereas Warren's dispatch center only answers police emergency calls.
Why is a comparison important? Because the county commissioners are discussing an additional sales tax as a way of maintaining 911 and other government services in the general fund. One option they are exploring is a sales tax to pay for criminal justice activities.