A plan to save money in Wabasha County by outsourcing police, fire and ambulance dispatching to neighboring Goodhue County is opposed by law enforcement officials in the southeast Minnesota area, reports the Rochester Post Bulletin.
Supporters say it would save nearly $150,000 a year, but opponents say response times would lag.
Wabash County officials, though, say they’ll go ahead with a study.
Board Chairman Peter Riester said he hasn’t made up his mind, but “we still owe it to the taxpayers to study every option that is out there.”
Consoladation of public services is an excellent reform measure. The claim of increased response times is a straw man argument.
For years, the state of Minnesota has poured millions and millions of dollars into upgrading our state-wide communications system at the insistence of local agencies. Now that they have all the new toys, they are shocked to hear that some want to put them to good use.
The fact is that Wabasha County could have their 911 calls received and dispatched from Peoria, IL in a seamless manner. Dakota County consolodated 7 suburbs in recent years with excellent results, and a lot of cost savings for the cities involved.