HomeMy WebLinkAbout770493 MELD MITT @ •- LINUS
AUG 3 0 1977
TO: Board of Weld County Commissioners r
FROM: Weld County Communications Advisory Board GREeLEY. coW
SUBJECT: Recommendation on Funding for Weld County Communications Consolidation.
1 It is the recommendation of this Advisory Board that Weld County Communica-
2 tions funding remain as it is presently structured. This Recommendation is
3 based on consideration of the factors described below:
4 Without the communications consolidation, the small town police depart-
5 ments and fire districts would be unable to maintain their own radio sys-
6 tems as cost of operation of individual systems would be prohibitive. It
7 is conceivable that some town boards would remove the radio and put the
8 public safety officer in jeopardy in the performance of his duty, in
9 that lacking communications equipment, he could not call for backup or
10 assistance in time of need. If a cost sharing consideration was made,
11 there would be too many of the small towns and fire districts that would
12 have ,to completely drop from the communications consolidation. In essence,
13 this would completely eliminate the communications center. Thus, losing
14 the ability for mutual cooperation in protecting and serving citizens,
15 between the eighteen police departments, fourteen fire departments , and
16 four medical rescue agencies , that has been developed through the consol-
17 idation. Further, under cost sharing we would tend to perpetuate the
18 double taxation method. This would be completely unreasonable.
19 EXAMPLE: The town of Windsor would pay a portion for their law enforce-
20 ment, a portion for their fire department, in essence, through the county
21 they would pay a portion for the sheriff department, and a portion for
22 the ambulance service. Consequently, they would be taxed four times,
?3 for the same service.
-'4 Another consideration very often overlooked, is what is known as frequency
'5 spectrum utilization. In essence, this means there are only a certain
!6 number of channels available to be utilized for police, fire, and medical
7 radio systems. An analogy would be a television set, which has channels
8 two through thirteen. Once those channels are filled,
you can have no
9 more television stations in the area. As it is with public safety radio,
0 once those frequencies have been filled there is no more room for additional
1 public service radios. As Weld County now stands , eighteen police de-
partments are utilizing two frequencies. If the consolidated system were
3 to be abolished, due to lack of use, this would force each department
770493 C . ., i
Page 2 - Recommendations
1 to go to a separate radio frequency, of which there are not eighteen
2 available. Another very important factor to consider, is the cost of
3 equipment. The cost of maintaining one center and hiring the dispatchers
4 necessary to operate one center is considerably less than the cost of
5 maintaining eighteen separate dispatch points, radio systems, and eigh-
6 teen separate sets of dispatch personnel .
7 This Advisory Board feels that a single ad valorem property tax is the most
8 feasible way to handle a communications consolidation. In further support
9 of this statement, we would refer to the study prepared by the Stanford Re-
10 search Institute for Larimer County. It points out the following information:
11 1) Ad Valorem Property Tax: This is the most straight forward way to fin-
12 ance a county wide service, such as consolidated communications. The
13 ad valorem tax is often used since it is the only major source of rev-
14 enue controlled at the local level . Thus , it can be adjusted to meet
15 local needs. All citizens living in incorporated areas pay taxes toward
16 municipal public safety communications , as well as county communications.
17 Thus , citizens in unincorporated areas are being indirectly subsidized by
18 . revenue from incorporated areas through their contributions to the county
19 wide ad valorem tax. A single county wide tax would adjust this situation.
20 While the county tax rate would necessarily increase to cover the total
21 cost of the consolidated system, municipal rates could be reduced in pro-
22 portion to the amount of revenue they will save because of consolidation.
23 This funding mechanism has the following advantages:
24 A) It is an equitable way to finance consolidated communications
25 since all property owning citizens would be contributing equally
26 to the cost of the system.
27 B) It is a reliable funding mechanism, since it would be collected
28 annually to support this service. It eliminates the possibility
29 of an agency suddenly deciding to withhold funds in an attempt
30 to dominate a policy issue.
31 Further, in the study prepared by the Stanford Research Institute, they refer
32 to the cost sharing method:
33 2) Cost Sharing: Cost sharing is often used as a funding mechanism by local
34 agencies to consolidate a necessary service. This has some advantages
35 and disadvantages. First, it allows more than one revenue source to
36 support the cost of service. However, such a scheme tends to obscure the
Page 3 - Recommendations
1 fact that local taxpayers ultimately pay the bill . In addition, it tends
2 to perpetuate the double taxation when overlapping Pp g jurisdictions tax the
3 same individuals to pay for duplicate services e.
� g. , municipal and county
4 governments and municipal governments, and fire districts). These facts
5 should be kept in mind:
6 Cost sharing formulas have the following disadvantages:
7 A) They are less equitable for citizens, although they may be equit-
8 able to the agencies involved.
9 B) Any formula would be reliable if all participants signed contrac-
10 tual agreements to provide for the funds necessary each year.
11 Failure to develop such an agreement would impair reliability.
12 Further, the study states, "A county wide ad valorem property tax is the most
13 efficient plan. "
14 Originally, with the Weld County Communications Consolidation Study that was
15 prepared by the Division of Communications in 1973, it was indicated that the
16 cost should be of the ad valorem tax operation.
17 We, of the Communications Advisory Board, highly recommend to the County Comm-
18 isSioners that they retain the advalorem property tax method of funding our
19 consolidation, so we may continue in the manner in which we have started.
20 Any changes at this date could possibly mean small towns and fire districts
21 dropping out of the consolidation. Hence, creating hard feelings towards
22 the county and the possibility of complete dissolution of the consolidated
23 communications.
24 Thank you for your time and we hope you will take our recommendations into
25 consideration on this matter.
26 Regards, pp��
mer H. ey s, airman hie a e a ; an
hie ames E ar s, Set:� Ernest Bower
We n Hills Fi e Department
e S aggs, D' rict Attorney's Gi an son, County Engineering
resentative Representative
Chi Eugene Whitcomb
Chief James Burns and Chief Walter Teel absent. Chief Teel sent his rec-
commendations in a letter of which a copy is attached.
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POLICE DEPARTMENT
^* � '�� P.O. BOX 621 WINDSOR, COLORADO 80550
w''�' WALTER J. TEEL
Chief of Police
(303) 686-2211
Faigust 24, 1977
Bud Reynolds
Chairman Weld Co.
Communication Advisory Board
Weld County Centenial Bldg.
Greeley, Colo. 8D631
Dear Bud,
Reguarding our conversation pertaining to the emergency Advisory
Board meeting, on August 30th, 1977.
I will be unable to attend because of a prior commitment, but my
vote and feelings concerning funding of the Communications Center,
should stay as it is and no charge should be made to the users of the
system, for thier participation.
Sincerely, n•Walter J. Teel
Chief of Police
WJT:sl
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