majority of the White Hall City Council and the White Hall mayor appear to be at odds over the city’s emergency dispatch services.
Currently, the City of White Hall handles its own emergency dispatch services. Back in December, it was made known at the city council meeting that members of the council had been discussing the possibility of disbanding the city’s dispatch services and contracting with the county. The item was removed from the December agenda by Mayor Brad Staats, but a lengthy discussion about the city’s finances ensued.
Ward 1 Alderman Todd Pinkerton-Riegel had previously brought up worries with finances for the city, claiming the city needed to find a way to cut costs to pay for a number of upcoming mandatory expenses including problems with the city’s utility infrastructure and upcoming lead service line replacements.
Alderman Ryan McMillen said in a Facebook post on February 11th that the city is spending $242,000 annually on its dispatch service. Pinkerton-Riegel said at this month’s city council meeting that the city could save $170,000 a year by contracting the service to the county.
The Greene Prairie Press reports the subject was taken up in a closed session at their February meeting before a public vote was held. The council voted 3-2 in favor of doing away with the service, with McMillen, Pinkerton-Riegel, and Alderwoman Pam VanMeter voting in the affirmative. Alderwoman Sue Vinyard and Norman Coad voted against it.
City Attorney Todd Parish told the council that Mayor Staats intends to veto the measure which will bring the matter back before the council at its March meeting. The measure will now have to pass by a 2/3 vote for it to stand. The council currently only has 5 members, with an unfilled vacancy left by David Meldrum several months ago. One of the no votes from the February meeting would have to change for the measure to pass next month.