The editorial in the Morgan Hill Times calling on the City Council to fully study, without pre-conceived notions, whether the city could save money by contracting out police protection or dispatching services for the community is one that on the surface looks like a great idea. However, as anyone who ever served on any committee knows that unless some boundaries are set on what is open for discussion, nothing will get done because no clear consensus will emerge.
But I am intrigued by the “no holds barred” approach to this study idea and would propose we take it a step further. Why not study the idea of unincorporating Morgan Hill? We already rely on the county for fire protection. There are those in the community who believe in turning over police protection to the county. Some have suggested selling the city’s recreation facilities, which would eliminate the need for a parks department. I’m sure we could find another city or some private business to pay top dollar for the city’s water department and Gilroy could purchase the half of the sewage plant owned by Morgan Hill.
So, if the city gets out of the police business, like they got out of the fire business, they can get out of the recreation business, the water business and the sewer business and then the city itself could go out of business.
I am sure there are readers out there whose salivary glands are already working overtime at the prospect. Not to mention those drivers who have passed through downtown at faster than the posted speed and received an introduction to one of the men in blue on their Honda Motorcycles.
Without the cops, the fire department, the community center or any of the parks and recreation facilities, the city government stops providing services to the community. If it isn’t providing services, why not just eliminate the city government?
However, nothing is ever as easy as it looks.
No city government = No zoning (I see houses on the hillsides).
No city government = No Chamber of Commerce (and no economic development).
No city government = No downtown.
Is that what we want? Are we so unwilling to pay what it costs for the city to provide the normal and basic services we expect from a municipality?
I don’t really think the city should unincorporate, nor do I think the city should spend a whole lot of time or a whole lot of money to study whether the city can save money by contracting out services it currently provides. Because the study results will satisfy no one.
People will tell you they want more cops and better fire protection. They will tell you they want parks that are well maintained and the services that our recreation facilities provide. But they will also tell you how unwilling they are to pay increased taxes to provide those services or to support them.
Contracting out public safety is not a way to save money.
We still pay for fire protection, even though there is no Morgan Hill Fire Department. And make no mistake about it. We will continue to pay for police protection, even if there is no Morgan Hill Police Department. Contracts for services like these are called “Cost Plus” and it has nothing to do with the chain of funky stores. The city pays the county a certain amount of money to cover the actual costs and an additional amount as a return on the county’s investment.
Morgan Hill pays Santa Clara County Fire a specified sum to provide manpower and equipment to cover two stations, 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year. If the city ever added the long sought third fire station, you could figure that the city would have to pay County Fire at least one-third more.
A contract with the sheriff might provide for basic coverage. Overtime costs, additional manpower for events like the Taste of Morgan Hill or the Fourth of July festivities would add costs. Plus, response times would lengthen and it would take time for deputies to become as familiar with Morgan Hill as our current police force.
A better use of city employees’ time and city funds would be something much more comprehensive that investigates the level of services people want, that they are willing to pay for and how that all compares to similar communities around California. That will take time and cost significant money. But if the citizens of Morgan Hill seriously want to determine what kind of community they want to live in and raise their families, it will be an investment they will want to make.
Studying the narrow topic of whether we should just farm out police protection or dispatching services is too narrow in scope and not even a short term solution to the long term problem of how to pay for city services and what level they should be provided at.
