Commentary by Larry Lannan
The proposed Hamilton County public safety training facility took two steps back and one small step forward Aug. 5, and no one knows it where it all goes from here. The county council voted 4-3 to reject spending $3 million for construction of the project, then voted later in the evening to approve $568,000 which pays for constructing a fire bdurn tower only.
I could not attend the meeting, but based on the news accounts I have read, the four council members against the $3 million proposal had two concerns. They believe the county has no statutory requirement to fund fire protection activities, as townships, towns and cities have. There were also concerns expressed that the cities involved should contribute more money to the endeavor.
Fishers, Carmel, Westfield and Noblesville each pledged $40,000 toward operating expenses for the training center. It appears the council majority wants more funding from the cities.
The argument that the county has no legal requirement to fund a public safety training facility is not persuasive to me. The county spends money in plenty of areas where there is no statutory requirement to do so. In my view, the council members should judge the project on its merits, not whether the law requires it.
However, the council does have a special duty to oversee how the county’s money is spent. Counties in Indiana have special legal responsibilities when it comes to paying for bridges. State Road 37 upgrades will need a county funding component (along with other government sectors) and the council does need to balance all its funding priorities.
Public safety, as I see it, is a responsibility of government, particularly local government entities from the county on down. Police and fire protection issues should not be decided based on political questions. It’s time all levels of government come together and find a way to fund a public safety training facility in Hamilton County.