Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 1, 1995 TAG: 9504030033
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
The proposal was introduced in January, when it appeared on the agenda for discussion at the quarterly meeting of the county Board of Supervisors and town councils of Dublin and Pulaski.
But weather postponed that meeting for two months, to Thursday night.
Dr. David Stanley, a Dublin council member, put the item on the agenda, but did not attend Thursday's meeting. "To be honest with you, I clean forgot it," he said Friday.
But other local government officials favored a look at the pros and cons, probably after the three governing bodies have their 1995-96 budget considerations behind them. They agreed with Board of Supervisors Chairman Jerry White's suggestion to put it on the agenda for the next joint meeting, set for June 29.
The major opposition to the proposal came from Colbern Linkous, a former Dublin council member who spoke as a citizen.
Linkous said Stanley is a proponent of county governmental consolidation and a countywide police force would be a step toward that through the back door.
He said town and county officers would have to be retrained to cover new jurisdictions. "And, believe me, there's a lot of difference. I know because I have a scanner."
Four years ago, Stanley proposed a study to see what benefits, especially in lower taxes, Dublin citizens might get from giving up their town charter. Other council members, including Linkous at the time, opposed the idea and no action was ever taken on it.
As for the countywide police force idea, Stanley said Friday, "I think anything that would save the taxpayers more is good, whether it smacks of cooperation or consolidation or whatever it smacks of."
Dublin Mayor Benny Keister suggested Thursday that Sheriff Ralph Dobbins, Pulaski Police Chief Herb Cooley and Dublin Chief Russell Gwaltney look into the proposal.
"I think the two town managers and the county administrator have enough to do this time of year" with budgets, he said. "I put a lot of faith in the two police chiefs and the sheriff. They'll call it the way they see it."
Pulaski Councilman John Stone and Supervisors Joe Sheffey and Pete Crawford all saw no harm in studying the matter. Crawford said his main question is whether it could save taxpayers some money, perhaps by getting more state funding for a countywide agency.
But others were more cautious. "I don't think it's broke," Councilwoman Bettye Steger said of the way the law enforcement agencies are set up now.
Pulaski Mayor Andy Graham said all three departments cooperate well now. "We certainly don't want to undermine the working relationship that the three departments have at this time," agreed Councilman Roy D'Ardenne. "Why stir something up if it's not necessary?"
Supervisor Bruce Fariss responded that local governments tend to try to fix things after they are broken. He said a survey of how law enforcement is working now could pinpoint areas where improvements could be made, "and I think it would be helpful to note those types of things before we have a crisis."
The survey might show only that everything is working well "and that's worthwhile to know," he said. Even if that is the situation, he said, the leaders of the existing departments will eventually change and "all it takes is someone who decides they don't want to cooperate anymore and you've got a problem."
White said delaying consideration until after budgets would allow time for more information to be gathered on it.
A referendum on consolidating governmental services in Pulaski County failed in 1983 by 73 percent overall. It was rejected in both towns and the county, although by only 54 percent in the town of Pulaski. All three jurisdictions would have had to approve it.
Last November, Fariss asked that the county administrative staff provide the supervisors with data on why the proposal failed, what its benefits and drawbacks would have been, and how people in other jurisdictions like Bedford County have reacted more recently to similar proposals.
by CNB