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[NewDawn]

According to the Monroe News article, 911 Dispatch currently has an annual budget of $2.4 million.  ($1.3 million of that comes from the county general fund.  Current Local surcharge is:$740,000.00 and shared state surcharge is $380,000.00.) The new $2.00 per line, per device per month, will add $3.2 million to that. It looks like wording on the ballot, makes this fee/tax a forever charge. The County Commissioners can lower the fee, though to $1.56 per line, per device, per month once they feel all equipment and up grades are completed. 

http://www.monroenews.com/news/20180714/central-dispatch-asking-voters-to-help-improve-services-for-county   

[Monroe Native]

Again - this ballot request is being marketed incorrectly.

The vast bulk goes to free up 1.3 million from the general fund.

A very small portion - for 2 years - goes to pay for the Smart911 equipment.

They are hoping that people don't mind shelling over 2, 4, 6 or whatever dollars per month so the County Commissioners have 1.3 million to spend on something else.

I for one would vote NO.

If it was only for the equipment - and only for the time to pay for it - I might feel different.

No more taxes.

[BigRedDog]

Again - this ballot request is being marketed incorrectly.

The vast bulk goes to free up 1.3 million from the general fund.

A very small portion - for 2 years - goes to pay for the Smart911 equipment.

They are hoping that people don't mind shelling over 2, 4, 6 or whatever dollars per month so the County Commissioners have 1.3 million to spend on something else.

I for one would vote NO.

If it was only for the equipment - and only for the time to pay for it - I might feel different.

No more taxes.

How can you say it's being 'marketed' incorrectly when it's all spelled out right in the proposal?

Most of your 'no more taxes' protest belongs over in the thread about the loss of future revenue from the DTE plants.  There is no question they will devalue both plants and therefore someone is going to have to pick up the property taxes they've been paying in the past. 

Actually, shifting the operations budget to the phone fees makes sense.  Get them away from the unknown of what will happen to government once the big tax cuts for DTE go into effect. 

I will say it again...

Central Dispatch is the key to operations for the entire Emergency Services across Monroe County.  If a firefighter doesn't know your home or car is on fire then they don't know to get to the fire station and get vehicles and come and extinguish the fire.

If your spouse is having a heart attack and fire rescue and EMTS aren't aware of it then you may lose your spouse.

I don't listen to police dispatch just because it is so busy...   almost constantly something going on with the various LE agencies across the county.  If you are in a minor fender bender you will need an accident report for your insurance company.  LE still has to be dispatched.

We very well may see some major cuts in the future to Emergency Services but central dispatch needs to be able to maintain and even improve their level of service. 

More accurate dispatches will save mileage on very, very expensive emergency vehicles but more important it will lower response times in situations where seconds can be critical. 

I see potential to save taxes in the long run since this better dispatch system will definitely shorten response times in situations called in by cell phones.  I believe one of the news articles stated that figure was about 70% of calls were from cell phones. 

If you truly and sincerely 'Support First Responders' then give them the tools to work with.

The life they save may be someone you love!!!

[BigRedDog]

Some people have a sign in their yard that says "I support our First Responders"...

but everyone can show support for their local first responders by spending the $2 a month...

it isn't even really a $2 increase as you're already paying a fee to the local central dispatch system. 

It may be the life of someone you love that this saves!!!

[Monroe Native]

I'm glad I'm not the cheerleader for the County Commissioners money grab.

Rah Rah Rah.  Fire and Police.

Please raise my taxes.

No thanks.

I prefer to keep what I earn.

Government always needs more - and this will never change.

They only way to prevent it is to say NO.

This isn't about Smart911.  This is about the General Budget.

However - the Headlines and the press the County put out was all about Smart911. 

Again - Rah Rah Rah fire and police, save lives - that is an emotional ploy to get you to bite on a giant pile of shite to help save the County Budget from impending cuts.

Vote No, and Vote NO often!

[BigRedDog]

I'm glad I'm not the cheerleader for the County Commissioners money grab.

Rah Rah Rah.  Fire and Police.

Please raise my taxes.

No thanks.

I prefer to keep what I earn.

Government always needs more - and this will never change.

They only way to prevent it is to say NO.

This isn't about Smart911.  This is about the General Budget.

However - the Headlines and the press the County put out was all about Smart911. 

Again - Rah Rah Rah fire and police, save lives - that is an emotional ploy to get you to bite on a giant pile of shite to help save the County Budget from impending cuts.

Vote No, and Vote NO often!

Vote 'NO' on anything you want...

that's your right.  At least you'll be out voting which is better than probably 75% will do.

As far as being a cheerleader for anyone...

I'm just a concerned citizen who happens to have a very strong background in emergency services. 

I've also seen first hand how this system can save lives and money for emergency services by shortening response times. 

I'm just afraid that you and people that don't look at anything and just any and all taxes into their 'no new taxes' rant. 

There are plenty of taxes I'm opposed to but is not one of them. 

Someday this will hit close to home to you and you'll say "well darn, that old dog was right"!!!

[BigRedDog]

Maybe I should have started with a disclaimer.

I have no interest in this fee increase one way or another other than as a concerned citizen and voter.  I am not an elected official at any level of government and am no longer a member of any fire department or any other emergency service. 

I've seen first hand the advantages this system will provide to anyone living or traveling within Monroe County. 

[Monroe Native]

LOL.

Having a name and home address come up on a screen - IF they signed into the system to enter their information, and IF they kept it updated every 6 months.....

Yes - I can see how that information would be VITAL for all of the out of towners traveling through Monroe County.

It will probably speed up the notification to their next of kin of what morgue they need to go to for body identification.

[BigRedDog]

Here's an option for you people that don't like to pay their share of their local emergency services...

there are still areas in the country where they have 'subscription' fire departments.  No taxes involved.  If you pay your annual subscription and have a fire in your home they will respond just like any other fire department. 

If you choose not to pay your subscription then they will respond and protect your neighbors home if they have paid their subscription. 

Here's some reading for you.

Fire Subscription Services: A Legal and Moral Conundrum - Fire ...
https://www.fireengineering.com/articles/2010/10/fire-subscription-service.html
Oct 12, 2010 - When the fire department arrived, they announced that since he had not ... fire and burglar alarm protection, and hundreds of other subscription ...


Arizona Firefighters Charge Family Nearly $20,000 After Home Burns ...
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/08/justin-purcell-fire_n_4242734.html
Nov 8, 2013 - 27, the couple received a bill from Rural Metro Fire Department for $19,825. ... The Purcells claim they would have paid for the subscription had ...


subscription fire department – Fire Law Blog
www.firelawblog.com/tag/subscription-fire-department/
The controversy associated with subscription fire services is not new. Whether you look at the economics, legality, or morality – it is a bad situation. Here's a link ...


No pay, no spray: Firefighters let home burn - US news - Life | NBC ...
www.nbcnews.com/id/39516346/ns/.../no-pay-no-spray-firefighters-let-home-burn/
Oct 6, 2010 - The fire started when the Cranicks' grandson was burning trash near the ... The fire department's decision to let the home burn was "incredibly ... to pay their $75 subscription fee. the obion budget committee of tennessee ...
Firestorm started over rural fire subscription verification - News - The ...
www.miamiok.com/news/.../firestorm-started-over-rural-fire-subscription-verification
Aug 26, 2016 - MIAMI – Efforts by the Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak to support rural full-time or volunteer fire departments has created ...


Tennessee County Expands Its Divisive Subscription Fire Policy - TIME
content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2026445,00.html
Oct 20, 2010 - Weeks after firefighters let a house burn down in Tennessee's Obion County, it has expanded a controversial policy that says fire departments ...

Fire Department Bills for Basic Services Horrify Residents, Insurance ...
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/fire-department-bills-basic-services.../story?id...
Feb 4, 2010 - The growing trend of allowing fire departments to bill insurance companies and accident victims for responding to house fires and car accidents ...

[Monroe Native]

LOL - BRD you are going around the bend on me.

First - I was "unpatriotic" for not thinking that sending the US Military all over the globe to help promote people who can't stand our country was a bad idea.

Now if you don't vote for every tax increase marketed as beneficial to fire or police then you don't want to pay your share.

Rah Rah Rah Police and Fire.

Logic has left the discussion.

Next I will be accused of putting words in other peoples mouths.

[BigRedDog]

LOL.

Having a name and home address come up on a screen - IF they signed into the system to enter their information, and IF they kept it updated every 6 months.....

Yes - I can see how that information would be VITAL for all of the out of towners traveling through Monroe County.

It will probably speed up the notification to their next of kin of what morgue they need to go to for body identification.

That alone is probably worth the $2.

You seem to be intentionally skipping over the major benefit that I pointed out very early on.

With this system the cell phone shows up on a map the second it connects with central dispatch.  That operator knows instantly and 'precisely' (not within a few miles but absolutely within a few feet) of where the caller is. 

Even if the caller can't talk it still shows 'precisely' where the silent phone is located.

I'm not sure how you keep ignoring that as a major benefit

[BigRedDog]

LOL - BRD you are going around the bend on me.

First - I was "unpatriotic" for not thinking that sending the US Military all over the globe to help promote people who can't stand our country was a bad idea.

Now if you don't vote for every tax increase marketed as beneficial to fire or police then you don't want to pay your share.

Rah Rah Rah Police and Fire.

Logic has left the discussion.

Next I will be accused of putting words in other peoples mouths.

Don't worry, if you start doing that 'again' I'll be sure to let you know!

You must be running out of arguments because you're reaching back a long ways for 'something' to throw back.

Let's just keep it to the benefits of the $2 for now.

[Monroe Native]

Don't worry, if you start doing that 'again' I'll be sure to let you know!

You must be running out of arguments because you're reaching back a long ways for 'something' to throw back.

Let's just keep it to the benefits of the $2 for now.

The benefits of $2 in my wallet every month is far greater than what the Monroe County Commissioners have planned for it.

I am sure of that.

Do you even care what they do with the 1.3 million dollars every year? 

You NEVER asked that question.

That is what you are REALLY voting for - not the Po Po and Fire.

[BigRedDog]

The benefits of $2 in my wallet every month is far greater than what the Monroe County Commissioners have planned for it.

I am sure of that.

Do you even care what they do with the 1.3 million dollars every year? 

You NEVER asked that question.

That is what you are REALLY voting for - not the Po Po and Fire.

I guess this is one of those scenarios where people can look at in different ways...

the old 'is the cup half empty or half full'?

I prefer to look at the positive side of the proposal because I've seen what it can do.  It's technology...  it costs money.

It will save lives and it will cut response time which will save emergency services dollars.

What the county commissioners does with those dollars is not the issue on the ballot except you're attempting to confuse people into thinking it is.

If you can't see past this then that is not my problem.

I'm a yes vote and you're a no vote.

If this doesn't pass then the emergency services will continue to drive up and down roads looking for incidents and victims.  That wastes time and increase fuel costs plus wear and tear on vehicles.

A no vote will save you the $2 and continue to cost you $3 on your current taxes.

Short sighted in my opinion but you won't have any new taxes

[BigRedDog]

The benefits of $2 in my wallet every month is far greater than what the Monroe County Commissioners have planned for it.

I am sure of that.

Do you even care what they do with the 1.3 million dollars every year? 

You NEVER asked that question.

That is what you are REALLY voting for - not the Po Po and Fire.

I will ask that question the next time I have a sit down with my county commissioner.

My guess is they're going to have plenty of places to put it along with plenty more once the taxes on the DTE plants quit flowing in.

You keep saying 'no' new taxes and I think we're going to end up paying lots and lots and lots of new taxes.

I said it before and I'll repeat again here in case you missed it.

It's probably fortunate that the emergency dispatch center will not be relying on some very, very tight ad valorem property taxes. 

Dispatch is the 'key' or the 'hub' of all the emergency services in the county. 

This new system may actually allow them to cut back on staff but I don't know that for a fact.  I'm sure there must be info out there on what has happened in other counties that have already implemented this system.

Maybe that would be a better use of your time rather than cutting and pasting 'no' new taxes.

Maybe an attitude of "I'm in favor of smart taxes that save money (and a few lives to boot)" would actually end up saving you tax dollars down the road.

Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

That's a military axiom that applies to lots of areas outside the military too.