Royalty, Watts agree to come to terms on 911 dispatch budget issue
Larry Green, the City of Bardstown’s human resources director, explains the city’s requirements for continuing to manage the E-911 Dispatch Board’s finances.
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015, 1 a.m. — Judge Executive Dean Watts and Bardstown Mayor John Royalty have agreed to sit down and create an agreement to place additional financial oversight to the E-911 Dispatch Board finances.
The agreement came about at a city council finance committee meeting with dispatch board representatives and elected county officials Tuesday at City Hall.
Mayor John Royalty makes a point during a conversation at the city council’s finance committee meeting Tuesday at City Hall.
The city has provided accounting services for the dispatch board since it was formed in 2007. But due to a drop in 911 landline revenues and changes in payroll, retirement and insurance costs, the dispatch board budget ended the last fiscal year in the red.
The deficit was a concern to the city’s auditor and to the city attorney, Human Resources Director Larry Green told the committee. The finance committee agreed at its November meeting to quit handling the 911 board’s finances effective Dec. 31, 2015.
At its meeting last week, the dispatch board agreed to send a letter to the city council asking the city to continue handling the 911 board’s finances through the end of the fiscal year June 30, 2016. At that meeting Watts pledged the county would stand behind the board and take care of its share of the deficit.
Green said that after discussion in City Hall regarding the board letter, he crafted a proposal outlining the conditions under which it would agree to continue to handle the 911 board’s finances.
The city would continue providing administration and payroll services but under contract. The city would require all dispatch employees become city employees until a new interlocal agreement governing the dispatch board is signed. The agreement would also give the city power of all personnel services, including hiring, firing and administering employee discipline.
The agreement would have a sunset date of either July 1, 2016, or the end of September 2016, when the current extension of the city-county dispatch agreement expires.
“This is an attempt to get control of the spending in control,” Royalty said. “It’s a temporary solution to a bigger problem.”
Magistrate Jeff Lear told the finance committee the board’s budget issues were not the result of reckless spending.
Royalty said he doesn’t want to split up dispatch, but the board needs to have financial responsibility.
“The way I see it right now, it doesn’t and I don’t think its fair to city taxpayers to continue being the bank for an independent-type board,” he said.
Watts said he didn’t see spending as a problem, but he agreed that as participants in the joint dispatch board, the city and county should provide additional oversight and guidance.
“This is only a solution to keep the dispatch board from having to go on their on January 1st,” Green told Watts. Royalty told Watts the situation would only be temporary. He said getting control of the dispatch center wasn’t the goal, but the move was a way of getting the dispatch budget problem under control.
Watts expressed concern with the city’s demands that it have total control of the hiring and firing of dispatch personnel. Royalty said that wording didn’t need to be part of a final agreement.
“We’re going to have to work this out, we can re-arrange that language,” Royalty said. “Either you have to be in control of it, or we have to be in control of it.”.
Watts said he agreed with the concept of working together to create a solution that satisfies both parties. With the Dec. 31 deadline fast approaching, Royalty and Watts agreed to meet this week to hammer out the language for an agreement that will satisfy both parties.
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