During the Holbrook City Council meeting on June 28, the council discussed amending the intergovernmental agreement for dispatch services between the City of Holbrook and Navajo County Sheriff’s Office.
When the agreement was made in 2011, the contract was for the city to pay $100,000 yearly to cover salary and benefits to Navajo County for the Sheriff’s Office to hire an additional two dispatchers and provide services for Holbrook Police Department. Prior to the agreement, Holbrook was paying an estimated $235,000 in salaries for their own dispatch services.
The amendment brought forward to the council increases payment by $40,000, changing the yearly cost to $140,000. Councilman Tim Dixon asked for a justification for the increase, to which City Manager Ray Alley responded saying that the increase would go to salaries and to “gear it into a long term plan as well as ERE’s (Employee Related Benefits).”
Dixon also questioned how the city originally reached the $100,000 agreement in 2011. Alley stated that he communicated with the county, hashed out the numbers and proposed the agreement to the council to combine. Dixon pushed the matter further questioning if the $40,000 extra was for just two dispatchers. “I think two additional people were added since Holbrook was added to the work system,” stated Alley, “I think it’s a two-person equivalent, not just two people.”
“The issue I have is that citizens are getting double taxed,” said Dixon, “They are not asking citizens of Navajo County (to pay more on the taxes), just the city.” Alley stated that he could not answer for the county.
Councilman Wade Carlisle said, “We should have the county supervisor come explain to us why the increase is taking place,” adding that if the board did not agree with the reasons for the increase, they could renegotiate.
Although a resolution was presented to the issue Dixon had voiced concerns for, he continued to question City Manager Alley’s efforts in the matter. “How much input did you give? Did you even negotiate for Holbrook?” Dixon asked Ray in a tone of accusation. Ray stated that no he did not negotiate because he was “not going back to lose money.” He also argued that the payment to the county has not had an increase since it began five years ago.
A verbal argument ensued as Mayor Bobby Tyler intervened, stating that Councilman Dixon was out of order and the council would be moving on. Dixon interjected stating that he had more to say and that Tyler should not interrupt him. Tyler’s response was to use his gavel to bring order to the meeting. Dixon continued his protest but the meeting continued with the council voting on the matter and the amendment passing, with council members Dixon and CJ Wischmann voting against.
