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Involve the public
Kansas City's fire and police providers over the next month will try to convince residents that these departments need a capital improvements program that could cost $120 million or more. In several ways, it could be a tough sell. Taxpayers are paying millions of dollars to fix major problems with the public-safety communications system that was authorized by voters in 1988. Lax supervision by city officials contributed to safety-related troubles with the system. Now it appears parts of the new police and fire capital improvements package have not been put together as carefully as they should. As recently as Monday, for example, a city worksheet explaining public-safety priorities included an estimated cost of $75.7 million for a computer-aided dispatching system for police. The real estimate was $7.57 million, and officials caught the mistake Tuesday. But another mistake also was evident. The annual estimated maintenance costs for the dispatching system were incorrect on Wednesday. Both the fire and police departments need accurate information when they attempt to gain the public's confidence in these projects. The first public hearing is at 7 tonight at the Northland Neighborhoods Inc. headquarters at 5312 N.E. Chouteau Trafficway. The other hearings are July 12 and July 27. The police say their top priorities are a new station north of the Missouri River for $8.3 million; the computer-aided dispatching; a new metro patrol station for $8.8 million; and three phases of reconstruction at police headquarters for $18.3 million. The top priorities for the Fire Department are renovations to fire stations on Swope Parkway for $7 million and in east Kansas City for $7.5 million; a new fire station north of the river for $7 million; and renovations to Fire Department headquarters for $1.7 million. Both departments have listed as a high priority the construction of a combined training facility for $31.3 million. At the hearings, Kansas Citians should be asked whether they agree with these priorities. Residents also should get the chance to say how they would prefer to pay for these improvements. The options include using existing revenues with no tax increase; a half-cent, sales-tax increase for four to six years; or a property-tax increase that could last 20 years. An election could occur as soon as Nov. 7. Police and fire department officials deserve credit for trying to cooperate on a comprehensive capital improvements list. Eventually the City Council and, perhaps, the voters will determine whether they have succeeded with the right mix of projects. All content © 2000 The Kansas City Star |
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Contents © 2008 by David Schoenberger |