Liberty voters to decide in November on operations levy for 911

A merger with Girard would mean little savings, the Girard mayor said.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
LIBERTY -- Township officials looked at several ways to operate 911 emergency call service here and are asking residents to weigh in at the ballot box.
Township trustees will be placing a 1.25-mill, five-year renewable operations levy to cover 911 emergency call expenses on the November ballot. The levy will cost a homeowner with a 100,000 home about 45 annually.
The township has been operating its own 911 call service for the past 10 years, but township Administrator Pat Ungaro said other options are being explored after a recommendation by the state.
"The state auditor's office recommended that we either go to the county's 911 service, work with Girard and their 911 service or put the issue on the ballot -- because if not, it's going to be a drain on our budget," he said.
The township spends about 290,000 annually to operate the 911 emergency call service. About 190,000 of the total cost of the system is funded out of the police department's budget. The rest of the money comes from the township's general fund and the fire department fund.
Ungaro said the township spoke with officials in Girard and offered to provide 911 services to the city for 100,000 annually. That offer, however, was rejected.
Girard's not interested
Girard Mayor James Melfi said joining forces with Liberty or any other entity is not attractive to Girard because the city has a proven system that works and is not a financial drain on the city's budget. Girard also operates its own 911 service separate from the county.
Melfi said joining forces leaves room for gaps in service because the police station would not be manned as it currently is.
"I don't believe council or the administration is interested in going in that direction," he said. "Our dispatchers in our system also perform other duties. If there is a prisoner housed here temporarily, who would oversee that prisoner when someone comes to the window and wants a police report? Who would be there to do that?"
Melfi said Girard pays about 180,000 annually to maintain its 911 emergency call service and would recognize little savings from any merger after paying people to staff the station for walk-ins and nonemergency calls.
Ungaro said the township has also talked to Trumbull County officials about joining that system, but has received nothing in writing detailing what agreement the county is willing to enter into.
Michael Dolhancryk, Trumbull County 911 director, said the county is willing to offer 911 service to the township at a cost of about 130,000 annually. He said the county is trying to determine how to economically service all seven communities in the county currently operating their own 911 emergency call service.
Dolhancryk said the township must also take into consideration the equipment being used in the township will no longer be backed by the manufacturer and will soon need to be replaced. Replacement of the equipment, he said, will cost the township an additional 45,000 if the township does not join the county system.
Chief's view
Township Police Chief Anthony Slifka said Liberty needs to maintain its own 911 services to properly serve township residents.
"I don't want to lose dispatching. I think it would be a big disservice to the residents of Liberty. There is a lot more to this than just answering the phone," he said.
Slifka said only about 3 percent of the calls fielded by township police are of a 911 nature. He said joining the system would mean the township police department would be without any dispatchers to address nonemergency matters and those walking into the police department for service.
Slifka also said the county's system of charging various municipalities has no uniformity and can be unfair to some municipalities who are made to pay more than others. The rate ranges from as little as 3,000 annually for Farmington Township to as high as 76,800 annually paid by the county sheriff's department.
Dolhancryk acknowledges there is little rhyme or reason to the payment breakdown, which was in place before his arrival last year. But he said some communities do receive credits for equipment given to the county system at the time of its startup.
Dolhancryk said details such as manning the police department could be worked out.
"If it is critical that someone be at the desk, [the county] could take the 911 calls and cellular calls; that way one dispatcher is not overwhelmed with handling all the calls," he said. "There are different ways of doing business. We need to discuss how to do business."
Ungaro said township officials are going to leave the issue up to voters. He said the township may be forced to join the county system should the levy fail.
"You can't keep spending a lot of money duplicating services without it affecting the number of police officers you have on the street," he said. "The people who want their own system are going to have to work real hard to keep it."
jgoodwin@vindy.com