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Dispatch discord in Beech Grove
Dear Editor,
Recently a TASK FORCE put together by Mayor Wright recommended that our Dispatch Center close. This is a continuation of other cuts that have been recommended to off set an approximate 1.2 million dollar shortfall for 2010. Last week the “TASK FORCE” held a public hearing to discuss cuts that are recommended to balance the budget.
As I did last week, I would like to point out some payments that have been made that are not conducive to good government. In 2009, the city paid $408,407.78 in interest payments on commercial loans that have been taken out over the past 6 years. The city also paid $184,921.28 in interest on a 4.9 million dollar time warrant loan in 2009 for budget purposes. A total of $593,329.06 in interest payments was made in 2009.
In 2009, the city collected $2,075,169 in sewer and trash bills, IN 2009, the city paid consultants, lawyers, urban planners, public relation people, lobbyists, and engineers $1,587,641.21 in payments out of the above mentioned balances. This constitutes 70 percent of sewer bill payments going to special interest person(s) instead of operations for the city.
The City states that an additional $482,100 will need to be cut in 2010, and an additional $363,000 will need to be cut in 2011 to off set the effects of House Bill 1001. My recommendation would be to maintain the Dispatch Center and its pre-2009 staffing levels, and cut spending in categories listed above. You can see that it can be easily done without hampering any emergency service that the city offers. Late last week, I received a letter stating that the “TASK FORCE’S” decision was to recommend tat the Dispatch Center close.
My thoughts are the same as they were last week, if you desire to close the Dispatch Center, let’s put it on a referendum and let the citizens decide its fate. Last Tuesday would have been an excellent opportunity to do that.
Dennis B. Buckley
Private Citizen
Beech Grove
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