LIBERTY TOWNSHIP, Ohio - Liberty Township trustees say eliminating their own 911 call center will save residents big money, but the police union and some local citizens gathered to say you can't put a price on safety.
People came to speak out against efforts to get rid of the local 911 dispatch center at Monday night's trustee meeting.
Most of them told trustees to put the issue on the November ballot.
"We've had excellent, excellent response. I say it's only fair that we as taxpayers be able to give this to us to make the decision. We're not talking about roads, we're talking about people's lives," said one resident.
Ray Buhala, a police union representative, says the move would be devastating. "All the crime that we deal with comes from Youngstown, so it makes sense to have dispatchers familiar with what goes on in Youngstown. They keep us abreast of what's going on as far as crime that may be coming into Liberty or critical incidents we need to respond to," Buhala said.
Trustees say it's a matter of money.
They say, right now, a levy dedicated to Liberty's 911 center brings in $270,000 a year. But it costs $298,000 to run it and those costs continue to rise.
The county would charge just $42,400 a year for 911 services.
"That millage is not bringing in enough. That's why your trustees are looking at what we can do to save you, the taxpayers, money," said Trustee Stan Nudell. "If the Trumbull County 911 center is safe for 26 other communities, I sure hope it would be safe for us also."
Trustees say there would be no difference from where a 911 phone call comes into in relation to response time.
They say they will continue to negotiate with the county.
Police say they are gathering petitions to put the issue on the November ballot.
