Allen County Sheriff Jim Herman and Fort Wayne Police Chief Rusty York have control issues.
Both have proposals for combining city and county emergency 911 dispatching departments, which now are separated by a glass wall. Under York's proposal, the combined department would be made up of city employees. Herman, however, would prefer a county-run communications department.
The two sat shoulder to shoulder Monday, flanked by attorneys, in front of a joint meeting of the city and county councils. Several council members seemed eager for a proposal. A year ago Herman told the combined councils he believed merging the departments was a good idea. Although the two sides have made progress, the issue of control looms large. Herman was adamant no decision would be made Monday. "We're not going to hammer out this decision tonight. It's not gonna happen."
Using Vanderburg County and Evansville as a model, Fort Wayne's plan would establish a board of four city and three county representatives to oversee dispatch operations. Herman preferred to continue with the current arrangement, in which control of the board switches back and forth between the city and county each year.
City Councilman John Crawford, R-at large, asked why the current board should be changed if it's working well now. "I think absolute control on either side is what the other side fears most."
Crawford said he favors consolidation, predicting it could net a 10 percent to 15 percent savings in the cost of operations over the years. He also favors a board that alternates control between the city and the county.
John O. Feighner, Allen County assistant attorney, proposed establishing a study group that would try to work out a compromise by Oct. 15.
Herman said further meetings are the logical next step. "This is a decision that will be made between executive branches of government. We still have some hurdles to go over."
Joe Kimmell, corporate council for the city, proposed taking the financial study from the political arena to get an objective view of a merger's financial impact.
And Allen County has made what Herman called a big concession since last meeting: It's agreed to let the existing board distribute 911 fees collected by the county.
Because about 70 percent of 911 calls come from within city limits, compared with about 30 percent handled by the county, City Councilman Tim Pape, D-5th District, said: "I think the city's got a very compelling case to have operational control." He said it would be less disruptive for the city to take on 30 percent more work than for the county to up its workload by 70 percent.
City Councilman Tom Hayhurst, D-4th District, asked about a combined department made up of city and county employees. But York said it would work better under one government, because of differences in benefits and pensions.
Council members voted to appoint one representative from each to be involved in the coming months' meetings as the two sides try to hash out a compromise.
