HOT SPRINGS -- A justice of the peace says the Garland County Quorum Court didn't have the opportunity to offer input on the 911 consolidation plan the county and city of Hot Springs submitted in December.
District 4 Justice of the Peace Jimmy Young said the Quorum Court should have been consulted before the plan was sent to the state 911 Board. Submitting the plan by the end of last year allows the county and city to continue sharing public safety surcharge fees through the end of next year.
The city expects to get about $500,000 of the $1.4 million the county is projected to receive this year. The money comes from the $1.30 monthly fee wireless providers collect from their customers. The county will be prohibited from distributing the city's population-based share starting in 2025.
County Judge Darryl Mahoney said the consolidation process isn't far enough along to include the Quorum Court.
"There's a lot of unanswered questions," he said. "Going to committee doesn't pose any benefit. We're trying to get all the information together and see what we need. Then it will go to the committee once we determine what we need moving forward."
City Manager Bill Burrough said last month that the city hasn't committed to consolidation. It's unclear how the city would fund its 911 call center without the per capita distribution.
"We're not saying we're opposed to the consolidation," Burrough said. "We just don't think it's in the best interest long term from redundancies standpoints and other things."
The city and county have resisted combining their 911 operations since the Public Safety Act of 2019 mandated a statewide consolidation. The plan that proceeded from the legislation recommended a consolidation of city and county 911 operations.
The Virginia consulting firm that issued the 2021 report advised the city in 2017 to expand its 911 call center. Burrough said the conflicting messages led the city to stop payment on the $415,062 contract the city awarded Federal Engineering in 2017. The company was hired to advise the city on its $6 million communications upgrade.
Last fall, the city and county appealed the 2021 recommendation to the state 911 Board, arguing their combined call volumes warranted funding for separate call centers. The board denied the appeal, prompting the city and county to submit a consolidation plan prior to the December deadline.
Mahoney said the Quorum Court will have a say when the process is far enough along that questions about staffing and funding can be considered. The Quorum Court's position as the county's appropriating authority gives it control of the county purse strings. It also has the authority to set salary ranges and create or delete staff positions.
The plan submitted in December called for a consolidated call center staffed by about 50 people. The county and city's 2023 budgets both included 17 positions dedicated to public safety communications. A unified call center would be under the authority of the county, but a multijurisdictional board would have oversight.
The board would comprise the sheriff, chiefs of city police and fire, a rotating chief representing the volunteer fire departments, LifeNet's director, the county judge and city manager.