Allegany County Legislator
For me it often seems like Allegany County just can’t win. Sometimes we’re up. Sometimes we’re down. I guess that all we can hope for is to break even in the end. The eternal optimist, I pray for the best and accept what has to be. The cause for my concern? Monday, September 11th, the Board of Legislators has an item, previously noted by WRN, regarding our counties 911 system. A sad day for Allegany County and our nation as by coincidence it coincides with the tragedy of “911”.
Resolution Intro Number 181-17 authorizes the establishment of a Capitol Project Account for the replacement of our 911 Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) program. It’s a sophisticated program that helps our 911 Dispatchers handle incoming emergency calls. The price tag for this program is just over $417,000.00.
If I’ve added correctly and I think I have it will replace a system purchased by the County about five (5) years ago that we paid around $500,000.00 for and - $52,000.00 a year in maintenance fees - for a grand total of about $760,000.00! We are being told that we have no choice. We either do this or our citizenry will be without an operational 911 program. A deadly consequence no one wants to bear witness to.
Doing the math it figures out to a cost of over $416.00 a day that you and I have paid for this service. All apparently for naught except for the lives it saved which no one can put a price tag on. Even if it were only one.
I don’t need to guess. You are asking yourself the same questions we asked. What went wrong and who is to blame? Obviously something happened. A program that was sold to us as having a “25 Year life span” that dies after 5 years at a cost of about three quarters of a million dollars is a problem not easily overlooked. Obviously an investigation will ensue and the less said at this juncture, until the dust settles, the better.
To their credit our leadership is concerned and the County Attorney has been advised. The “Tail will be pinned on the donkey” and soon. A saving grace is that the funding to purchase the new system – also being sold as having a 25 year life span – has been found. It includes money from our 2018 PSAP (Public Safety Answering Points) Grant, the Allegany County 911 Surcharge Account (A surcharge on cell phone usage.) and the $52,000.00 we would have paid the current vendor to maintain the present program in 2018. The new program will also have an annual maintenance fee of $44,654.00 but that amount will not be needed until 2019. None of this money will come from the Counties surplus or add an additional burden to the property tax.
As I’ve mentioned before its budget time for Allegany County and our leaders and budget planners are asking tough questions and seeking solutions. Gasoline prices are spiking due to Hurricane Harvey so additional sales tax revenue should follow. With the other hurricanes, Irma et al, in the offing it’s anyone’s guess as to how long that increase will last. I know a sales tax is the fairest tax – because everyone pays it – it’s annoying because you are reminded that it exists every time you make a purchase. Large or small the tax is still there and regardless of what some say I think it does impact our local businesses and puts a damper on sales. Especially when we are higher than any of our neighbors.
Please know that we (I’m speaking for my peers on the Board of Legislators here.) do like to hear from you if a question, concern or comment about county government is on your mind. A contact list can be found of your elected county representatives at www.alleganyco.com.
Respectfully submitted,
Karl Graves, Legislator
District 4, Wellsville/Andover
