From the Jeffersonville News and Tribune:
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“What happens is, you don’t see that many inter-local agreements over the state because there are different funding issues,” McLaughlin said. “There’s just certain things that kind of keep counties and cities separate.”
And the debate over funding has certainly marked recent debates over a revised New Albany-Floyd County Parks Department agreement, as well as a proposal to merge the city and county 911 dispatch centers into one entity.
Both measures were defeated by the city, though New Albany officials that were against the proposal said there’s more to the story than just cooperation.
After the city council approved a new parks deal in April, Mayor Jeff Gahan vetoed the move. On Monday, the city council upheld the veto.
While county and parks officials said they were focused on the future, Gahan reminded the city council that Floyd County had paid about $4 million less than New Albany toward the department over the past eight years.
The 911 merger was also approved by the county last year, but some city leaders referenced the parks funding discrepancy as reason not to join into a new agreement.
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When it comes to merging services, Gahan said the county is promoting such agreements “so they can gain access to the city’s general fund.”
“If they need to provide additional revenue they have the tools to generate more revenue,” he said. “And I suggest they use them instead of spending their time trying to gain access to the city taxpayers’ general fund.”
Floyd County Commissioner Mark Seabrook contended that if recent disagreements have been a matter of protecting the city’s general fund, than a 911 merger makes all the more sense for New Albany.
County officials touted the merger as not only a means to save the city up to $250,000 as soon as the first year of the joint operation, but also as a way to run emergency dispatch in a more efficient manner.
County officials also said that Floyd County would be paying more for 911 dispatch under the merger, but that it was the right move to stave off duplicated services.
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And it’s not like the city and county haven’t enjoyed fruitful partnerships in the past, Bush continued. He pointed to the joint funding agreement between the city and county to foot a portion of the Floyd County branch of the YMCA of Southern Indiana.
There are other issues that are likely to come forward that will require joint participation, Bush said. He referenced the possibility of a new youth baseball and softball complex, and said the county has to make a decision later this year on the North Annex property near Sam Peden Community Park.
A community pool has been one idea proposed for the park and property, Bush said, and that could be something that would benefit city and county residents.
“These are future discussions we’re going to have to have, and need to have, and I think the community expects us to have,” he said.
But when it comes to funding, McLaughlin said New Albany residents are paying both city and county taxes. Therefore, a joint funding agreement is typically shouldered more by city taxpayers than county residents, he added.
Gonder said innovative approaches are needed as governments continue to tighten their financial belts. For example, he said a joint parks and library district should be researched.
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http://newsandtribune.com/floydcounty/x241730161/Relations-between-Floyd-County-New-Albany-examined-following-parks-veto
