Posted by dan on August 23, 2009 at 10:58:56:
from the wi state journal-
Billing only bigger communities for county's emergency radio system called unfair
By MATTHEW DeFOUR
608-252-6144
mdefour@madison.com
A proposal to spread the cost of maintaining a new $30 million emergency radio system among Dane County’s wealthier municipalities is drawing criticism for dividing the county into "haves and have-nots" — and charges that it subjects the "haves" to double taxation.
The plan attempts to divide the $1.44 million annual maintenance cost among the county’s 61 municipalities based on equalized value of property divided by population.
It would exempt 21 municipalities whose per-capita value falls below $100,000, including the cities of Sun Prairie and Stoughton. Their share — about $292,000 — would be picked up by the county.
Madison would pay about $692,000, or 48 percent of the maintenance cost.
Residents in cities such as Madison, Middleton and Verona would be subsidizing the cost for the smaller communities, Verona Police Chief Bernard Coughlin said.
"The recommendation prepared by the committee is anything but fair," Coughlin told the 911 board Wednesday. He proposed the county pick up the entire maintenance cost in order to spread the tax burden fairly among property owners.
County Board Sup. Jeff Kostelic, of Sun Prairie, said the county taking on the full cost "would put a bind on our budget" and could cut into human services funding.
But even Jon Freund, a Sun Prairie alderman, agreed with the criticism. "Any time we can save money we probably should, but it isn’t a fair proposal."
911 director John Dejung said the $292,000 comes out to 62 cents per county resident. "I hope that doesn’t hold up a $30 million contract," he said.
The 911 board agreed to put off a decision to endorse the proposal until a special meeting on Sept. 2.
But board members will be running up against an Oct. 1 deadline, when Dejung said the county expects to sign a contract with Motorola to begin work on the radio project. The system must be operational by the end of 2012 to meet a federal deadline.
The contract may be delayed if all 61 municipalities don’t agree to join the system. Several smaller municipalities worry they won’t be able to afford to buy radios or contribute to the maintenance cost, which is why a county committee devised the compromise.
The cost-sharing proposal would cover maintenance in 2012 and 2013. Afterward the cost would be divided according to the number of radios assigned and amount of use per agency.