S.C. County`s 9-1-1 Center to be Hot Topic Before Final Budget Vote
June 26--The Anderson County Council is expected to renew its discussion of removing the 911 call center from Sheriff John Skipper's supervision when it reconvenes Thursday for a final vote on the 2014-15 budget.
Council member Francis Crowder has proposed putting the 911 center and dispatchers under the purview of interim administrator Rusty Burns. Crowder said he is concerned about the county having vacant dispatchers' positions while paying more than $400,000 in overtime. The 911 communications center has had between six and 10 vacant dispatchers' slots at any given time in the last few years.
"I feel like we need to treat this like a baby and nourish it back to health," Crowder said. "Maybe we don't pay enough or explain the job enough."
Skipper acknowledged that Anderson County dispatchers handle a large volume of calls. Instead of having separate dispatchers for each agency, the county has a centralized dispatch center that handles all emergency calls, whether they are fire calls, medical calls or calls for law enforcement.
"Our folks in central dispatch handle 540,000 calls a year," Skipper said.
Council member Eddie Moore agreed with Crowder's proposal. Moore said the dispatch center is being mismanaged.
"We've got to get a handle on this train wreck," Moore said. "We've got a train wreck."
Council member Tom Allen didn't agree with a proposal to give Burns oversight of county dispatch for one year.
"I don't see how that would fix the problem," Allen said. "If we move them from the people who know most about them, it seems like we would just be throwing more turmoil into the process."
In the final reading of the budget, council members are expected to vote on $2.9 million worth of changes to the 2014-15 financial plan that was initially proposed by Burns.
One of the major changes is that Skipper projects needing $1,444,005 that the county had not anticipated he would use. Skipper will take the bulk of that money from his department's reserves.
The budget includes $1.5 million for road paving and small pay increases proposed for all full-time county employees except the administrator. The council has also agreed to a $17,270 salary increase for one position in the economic development department. The Anderson County budget has no proposed increases in taxes or fees.
The budget includes money for a new countywide phone system and $75,000 to go toward a Web-design consultant.
The council has voted to cut a new caretaker position that was originally included in the financial plan for 2014-15. Council Chairman Tommy Dunn said the position is needed at the shelter. But council member Cindy Wilson said officials need to think about putting money toward roads and projects that will benefit people ahead of animals.
"After exhaustive deliberations, I think most members of council are prepared to vote on the budget," Burns said Wednesday. "We have tried to address questions and concerns."
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