When Logansport and Cass County officials first started talking about merging their emergency communications centers, there were lots of doubters.
Many folks liked things exactly the way they were. The city had dispatchers, and the county had dispatchers. The city had one data management system, and the county had another. Why mess with a good thing?
Others, though, could see the handwriting on the wall.
City and county government simply couldn’t afford to keep going their separate ways. They had to work together to survive in an atmosphere of shrinking tax revenues.
And besides, a combined dispatch center would provide better service. There would be no more misdirected 9-1-1 calls. Emergency response times would be faster.
The effort to combine the two centers took some time, but it came together more or less on schedule. Advocates of a more efficient local government applauded the project. Even the governor showed up to celebrate the achievement.
Sure, there were glitches here and there. Those from the city and county weren’t exactly embracing each other, but supporters of the effort said everything would get better with the passage of time. Just give folks a chance to get used to each other, and they’ll learn to play nice.
That was more than 10 months ago. Soon after the first of the year, the communications center will celebrate its first anniversary.
And yet, the two sides aren’t exactly moving closer together. If anything, the camps seem to be growing more entrenched.
The communications center governing board at one point had agreed to invest in an interface that would allow dispatchers to enter calls into both city and county software programs, but after discovering that the cost would far exceed the original estimate, the board decided to pull the plug.
Last week, the board talked about completely removing the city’s software from the dispatch center.
The vote ended in a tie. Three city representatives lined up on one side. Three county representatives lined up on the other. And the board chairman stood alone in the middle.
This is not the sort of model the governor was celebrating during his visit to Logansport.
If they want this experiment to work, the city and county officials must find a way to work together. They must put petty disagreements aside and strive for the common good.
We’re keeping our fingers crossed.
Editorials
City-county feud must come to an end
- Editorials
-
-
An outstanding community effort
United Way of Cass County announced this week that it had raised more than $600,000 in its most recent campaign. The campaign’s success is a testament to the generosity of local residents and to the great work of the United Way and its member agencies.
-
Another step forward for local trails
Local officials broke ground this week on the planned Eel River Run from downtown to Riverside Park. The project will expand a trail system of which the community can be proud.
-
White should not return to office
The conviction of Indiana’s secretary of state on charges of voter fraud has left Republicans and Democrats fighting over who will hold the office. No matter how the fight comes out, Charlie White’s ouster from office should be permanent.
-
A grand success for Indianapolis
The just-ended Super Bowl was the result of decades of preparation. Indianapolis left a great impression on the thousands of visitors who descended on the city.
-
Should schools teach creationism?
The Indiana General Assembly is considering a measure that would allow public schools to teach creationism as long as they include instruction on other reliigious theories. Broadening the instruction to include other religions might address constitutional concerns, but the result might be a class the law’s supporters didn’t envision.
-
Giving every child a chance
Students from Columbia Middle School delivered a message of inclusion in a play last weekend. The message is one that can’t be repeated too often.
-
Testing lawmakers a good idea
A measure requiring drug testing for welfare recipients would also require drug testing for legislators. If lawmakers are going to impose such a requirement on welfare recipients, they should be willing to stand up to the same measure.
-
Peru delivers important message
The city of Peru collected $20,000 last year from property owners who failed to keep their yards mowed. An aggressive enforcement effort can help the city’s finances, but the benefits go beyond dollars and cents.
-
Jail GED program a great step
The issue
The Cass County Sheriff’s Department has begun offering GED
classes for its prisoners.
Our view
The department, and society at large, will see a huge return on that
investment. -
Ambulance services aren’t cheap
Cass County commissioners are looking at alternatives to the ambulance service provided by Logansport Memorial Hospital. Commissioners will be fortunate to find a less expensive alternative.
- More Editorials Headlines
-
An outstanding community effort








