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[April 19, 2012]

County Council says: Use tax windfall for new 911 radios

Apr 19, 2012 (The News-Sentinel - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Members of Allen County Council want to meet with their city counterparts to discuss how best to use about $13 million in unanticipated income taxes, and believe a new emergency communications system should be at the top of the priority list.

Although some City Council members have suggested the city's $8.5 million share be used for street and neighborhood improvements, County Commissioner Nelson Peters said Thursday the joint city-county emergency communications department is preparing to buy a new generations of radios and other equipment expected to cost between $15 million and $20 million. Emergency communication fees paid by telephone users raise only about $2.4 million per year and are not sufficient to pay cover both day-to-day expenses and the new technology.

The county expects to receive about $4.5 million in back income taxes as part of the state's recent discovery of a $206 million accounting error that will return about $15 million to governments within Allen County.

"I applaud Mayor (Tom) Henry (for urging the city not spend its money hastily). We need to talk to the city about this because we have a major project that needs to be funded," County Councilman Darren Vogt said.

County Council President Larry Brown, meanwhile, said he was disappointed the joint communications board chose to tailor its specifications in such a way that only Motorola, which manufactured most of the equipment now in use, could qualify. Peters had opposed that decision last year, concerned that the lack of competition would drive up the cost.

In other business, Council Thursday established Homeland Security Director Bernie Beier's salary at $80,000 -- or about $10,000 less than he had been making as a city employee. Beier had been head of the joint city-county Homeland Security Department until Henry ended the agreement April 1.

Before the county's 2013 budget is adopted, however, Council members and the Commissioners will investigate whether existing safety-related functions and positions can be consolidated to recoup some of the cost of Beier's salary, about half of which is reimbursed by the federal government. Peters said the county also hopes to generate revenue by providing homeland security services to other cities and towns, including Fort Wayne.

Councilman Paul Moss was skeptical any savings will result, however.

"I've never seen a situation where there was so much effort put into retaining somebody," he said. "That's a testament to (Beier)." ___ (c)2012 The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Visit The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Ind.) at www.news-sentinel.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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