Merging fire rescue may be difficult to accomplish ... However, city-county consolidation remains worthy objective As reported in one of our previous columns, the idea of merging the Martin County and Stuart fire rescue departments has been recommended by the Martin County Taxpayers Association for several years. In February, we volunteered to facilitate consolidation talks between the two governments and, over the past several months, demonstrated that a merger could produce huge savings for both . The majority of the savings would come from closing one city fire station and some consolidation of management and staff. There are also additional savings to be made by using shared maintenance and reducing duplication of services. These savings would accrue to the residents of both the city and county. Our original estimates projected a savings of a minimum of $1 million for the city; county taxpayers would also save by the result of greater efficiencies of operations. However, we recognize that a consolidation of departments is no easy task. Aside from financial savings, both the city and county are concerned about the loss of control of this critical service, and many of the discussions about a merger center on governance rather than cutting costs. Adding to the difficulty is the fact the city and county have just concluded a difficult negotiation over a combination of real estate and tax payments mistakenly paid to the wrong entities. We applaud both for finally reaching an agreement. In addition to the difficulties of this type of merger, there are other complications standing in the way, such as the existing agreement the city has with Sewall’s Point, the consolidation of two unions, and the issues associated with governance. However, because of the current budget challenges of both governments, the timing appears to be right for serious discussions about this merger. The taxpayers association believes any consolidation that saves tax dollars and does not affect the level of service should be considered. There are many examples of various consolidation schemes across the United States that have been undertaken as cities and counties look for greater efficiencies as their tax revenues have declined. So, this proposed merger is not unusual and should at least be considered as an option in the pursuit of conserving tax dollars. In a recent meeting, both the city and county agreed the consolidation decision was a difficult one to make and agreed they would recommend to their respective boards that a consultant familiar with this type of merger be engaged. The value of an outside perspective would be to look at the merger not just for cost savings, but for greater efficiencies of operation and service to the residents of Martin County. The taxpayers association agrees with this recommendation and believes an objective, third-party review by an expert in this area would be beneficial and worth the investment. Hopefully, this will be done in a timely manner, and we believe conclusive discussions and a decision could be reached by the end of the year. As we have stated before, both governments should receive the benefit of significant cost savings in a consolidation such as this — and we believe it can be achieved. But, in the end, the merger may hinge on the factor of control and the willingness of both city and county leadership to share the benefits and conserve tax dollars in future years. For more information about the Martin County Taxpayers Association, including membership, please visit our website: mctaxpayers.org. RICHARD GEISINGER JR. GUEST COLUMNIST
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 11:13:51 +0000
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