Total expenses for the 2006-2007 fiscal year were assessed by the board to be just under $384,000. The difference between income and expenses, according to the board's budget projection, will be just over $126,000.
Rinthen said the next step will be to present the request to abolish the board to the Fiscal Court next week. If the court does not pass the request to disband the board, Rinthen said it will continue on.
But based on a letter to Rinthen from John Wilson, judge-executive, he will make the same recommendation to the Fiscal Court.
"I have been studying this issue and think it would be prudent for both the city and county to jointly abolish the board and that the Fiscal Court appoint and individual to serve as our 911 coordinator," Wilson wrote.
He also adds in the letter that even after abolishing the board, "... it is likely that the city and county will both have to supplement the 911 budget in an amount close to the figures presented," referring to the request of an equal contribution from both the city and the county of $63,000.
"I am hoping to ... avert a situation later this year when the 911 account is insufficient to pay salaries and the City Council/Fiscal Court has not planned for the supplement," Wilson wrote in closing.
Interim director
"I will recommend an interim director for 911 Monday at the fiscal court meeting," Wilson said in a phone interview. He plans on having no problems getting Dwayne Nave, the county's emergency director, named to the role, Wilson says.
"Nave reports directly to me in his role now. This way I think we'll be able to work on some innovative solutions," Wilson said. Wilson says Nave has a good history with grant writing.
"The largest part of the budget for 911 is the salaries," Wilson said. He says different solutions need to be attempted in order to bring the budget back down, but said whether or not this will mean job cuts is uncertain.
As far as what the county will contribute now that it knows City Council unanimously passed a $38,000 contribution, Wilson says he's unsure about that as well.
"That's a good question," Wilson said. In the past, some volleying back and forth has gone on between the city and county, with each only contributing what the other has to the 911 budget.
"But that's no policy. It's just been a practice, which is part of the problem," Wilson said. "Now that we know for sure what the city will be giving, we know for a fact that we can't contribute the remaining $98,000. The money's just not there."
Wilson says he feels certain the board will be abolished after Monday's meeting.
"But the day-to-day operations of each agency are those agency heads, and Dwayne (Nave) will be the head. I have confidence that we will be able to figure some things out with him," Wilson said.
"The main thing we're going to do is try to cut out a lot of the overtime, and some of the minor management issues," Nave said. "At this point in time we're not doing anything major or cutting any jobs out - all the full time people that are there now will stay there. It'll just be hopefully managed a little closer."
Nave said he definitely supports the 911 operation staying gin Garrard County 100 percent.
