The Morgan Hill City Council is taking a serious look at
contracting with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s office for police
services to save upwards of $1.8 million annually.
1. Morgan Hill has saved a bundle and provided good public services
The Morgan Hill City Council is taking a serious look at contracting with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s office for police services to save upwards of $1.8 million annually.
Morgan Hill has, for a number of years, contracted for its fire services with the Santa Clara County Fire Department saving money and, at the same time, providing excellent service to its residents.
When is the Gilroy City Council going to take a serious look at contracting out public safety services? Sure, there are ongoing “discussions” about a South County fire protection consortium of sorts, but there’s no meat on that bone for the foreseeable future.
If the City Council is willing to battle it out on the ballot with the Gilroy firefighters over a referendum which would overturn binding arbitration, why not take a hard look at contracting with Santa Clara County Fire or CalFire?
2. Reality is that Gilroy can’t sustain the current level of expenditure
Morgan Hill would gladly share the hard numbers and the pros and cons of the city’s experience. Frankly, there’s hardly been a resident’s revolt. And there might even be additional savings possible if Gilroy teamed up with County Fire, too.
The city is facing annual deficits, ever-rising benefit costs, a recalcitrant firefighters union, a political fight that will, no doubt, become nasty and an economy that by all accounts will recover ever so slowly. If Council members think that the sales tax from local car sales, for example, is going to spike in the near future, well, think again. It’s time to deal with reality.
The reality is that the public safety sector within City Hall accounts for nearly 80 percent of all expenses. The reality is that the community deserves not only good fire and police protection, but services such as parks and recreation and planning.
3. Could the city save a bundle by contracting out dispatch services?
The City Council should actively be looking at alternatives to bring down the costs associated with its largest expense. But that’s going to take thinking out of the Gilroy box – something which seems to beguile this City Council.
Why, for example, hasn’t Gilroy studied the cost savings that could be realized if dispatching services were contracted with the Santa Clara County Communications Department. County communications already provides emergency traffic directing for numerous cities.
But instead of creative proposals and in-depth looks at financial solutions, the Gilroy City Council approves closing the doors to the public every other Friday. The Council has to do better, much better than that.
