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Lincoln, Garrard move closer to merging 911 centers

August 31, 2007|STEPHANIE SCHELL

STANFORD - Lincoln County Fiscal Court held first reading Thursday of an ordinance regarding the establishment and operation of a joint Garrard, Lincoln County 911 dispatch center, but it appears not all magistrates support the idea.

Magistrates Johnny Padgett and Terry Wilcher both opposed the ordinance that will rescind all previous ordinances of Lincoln's 911 Center. What will remain in effect is any fees collected that fund the service.

The ordinance also states that an inter-local agreement recently drawn up between Lincoln and Garrard counties concerning a joint 911 center is now adopted. Lincoln County Judge-Executive Buckwheat Gilbert has authority to execute the agreement on behalf of the Fiscal Court, according to the ordinance.

Padgett and Wilcher do not agree with a section in the agreement that states if one county's 911 land line fee is lower than the other's, and the new joint dispatch center needs funds, the county with the lower fee must raise its fee to match the higher fee. Lincoln County currently charges $1.50 and Garrard charges $3.

Wilcher said people in his district tell him they are uncertain about the joint 911 center to start with, and they don't want their 911 fee increased to move the center to Lancaster. "I'm just representing the people," Wilcher said of his nay vote.

Padgett does not want to see a 911 fee increase either, but he's concerned about the project as a whole.

"This is a major deal," he said. "I don't feel like I've been informed enough."

Idea quickly grows

The project has formed rather quickly since being revealed to the public a few months ago. After Lincoln County disbanded its 911 board this spring because of issues including board members giving themselves unapproved raises, the Fiscal Court started talking publicly about a joint center with Garrard, which will be located in the Billy C. Moss Municipal Building on West Maple Avenue in Lancaster. The inter-local agreement was then drawn up between the two counties.

The agreement states, in addition to the rate increases, that each county must dissolve its current 911 board and establish a joint board.

Members of that board will consist of both county judge-executives and three others - either citizens or elected officials - appointed by the fiscal courts from each county.

Both counties also reserve the right to discontinue involvement with the joint 911 center as long as a 90-day notice is given.

Garrard County Fiscal Court planned a special meeting this morning to approve the inter-local agreement and give first reading of the ordinance.

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