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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2010 > January > 27 > Entry
Sheriff: Loan for new EOC a “suggested tax increase”
Butler County’s top public safety official today, Jan. 27, came out strongly against a proposal to take advantage of a low-interest loan to build a new Emergency Operations Center.
“In a perfect world or perfect time, which this is not, it would be a great concept,” Sheriff Richard K. Jones said in an open letter to commissioners. “But, we are experiencing the worst recession in my lifetine, the Butler County unemployment rate is over 10 percent and our local homeless persons count is at approximately 1,300.”
Here is a copy of Jones’ letter:
(Click on the top right corner to enlarge)
Analysis:
This puts Jones opposite Commissioner Charles Furmon — himself a former Hamilton police officer — who is urging his fellow commissioners to use a federal stimulus backed loan for up to $3 million to move the EOC out of its cramped office in downtown Hamilton.
Commissioner Donald Dixon is opposed to the plan as well, citing the county’s existing debt. Commission President Gregory Jolivette has said he’s on the fence, but a decision must be made this week.
Jones and all three commissioners agree on the need to move the EOC —Â the county’s nerve center in an emergency —Â from a tiny back office in the Government Services Center that doesn’t get cell phone coverage to the county’s Princeton Road campus. The building is also planned to house the sheriff’s emergency dispatchers.
The issue is timing, and with the county recently laying off deputies and other workers to address a budget awash in red ink, “The last thing we need is to spend $3 million and make loan payments for the next twenty years to pay for this facility,” Jones wrote. “My grandkids will be paying for this. Enough is enough.”
Furmon has argued that this is a rare opportunity. County finance officials say interest rates are expected to only go up from this 3.34 percent interest loan, and county finance officials say construction costs are historically low because of recession.
“We are laying police officers and firemen off,” Jones wrote. “People are losing their jobs and are in fear of losing health care benefits. To even consider this proposal is in no way helpful to their plight.”
Jones then called the proposal paramount to raising taxes.
“Let’s try a novel idea,” he wrote. “Let’s try to pay off the current debt.”
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment |
Comments
By Joe Tellup
January 27, 2010 6:39 PM | Link to this
Wait a minute, aren’t we going to have to pay back the residents 2 mil for an illegal assessment? Don’t we have people laid off from County offices right now. Haven’t County employees forgone raises, what kind of economics says spend money in this type of situation?
By Ned
January 27, 2010 8:24 PM | Link to this
Don’t forget we still have the sheriffs legal cost to pay from his federal law suit.
By BG
January 27, 2010 8:51 PM | Link to this
Mr. Galloway, with friends like this you’ll find you don’t need enemies.
By Jamie
January 28, 2010 11:50 AM | Link to this
We have so many vacant buildings in the City of Hamilton alone to be able to move the EOC into!!! We do not need to pay for a new building!!! Mr Furmon and Mr Jolivette, I know both of you personally, and I know first hand that you both have more common sense than this. If the EOC needs more space, then fine, but look into moving into a existing building instead of spending my tax money on a new building!!! Seriously, you guys are smarter than this!!!
By Pat
January 28, 2010 4:38 PM | Link to this
I agree that there are plenty of buildings in Hamilton to move EOC, and we don’t need to spend more money… Too bad Jones didn’t think like this when he insisted on millions be spent on telecommunications for the Sheriff’s office.. A system the deputies say is not as good as what was replaced!
By Can't Understand
January 29, 2010 1:22 PM | Link to this
Why didn’t someone ask Jones how he figures a loan is a tax increase? Everyone allows this goof to say anything and never questions it.
By Will
February 2, 2010 9:30 AM | Link to this
I do think the sheriff and the county would be better served if the sheriff would spend more time monitoring the sexual harassment going on in his own department and leave running the county to the commissioners.