FAST FACTS:
City and County officials say a merger plan is close City Council Chairman has questions about who will pay Plan must be approved by unions
(Memphis 11/27/09) The red truck pulls into Shelby County Fire Station Number 1 just before noon.
The station is located in Lakeland, and Shelby County Firefighters have been protecting that area for years. If a new merger between Memphis and Shelby County Fire Departments comes through, there's a chance that the only thing that will change will be the name on the sides of the trucks. But that fact alone is enough for some residents in the county to simply say no.
Spend any time in Shelby County in fact, you'll find that a lot of people don't go looking for the Memphis label. Many who live in Arlington and Lakeland moved because they wanted to get away from Memphis. So they don't like the idea of the Memphis Fire Department coming to them, even if it wouldn't mean any changes in their service. "That idea is crazy," says Tony Kelly of Lakeland. Kelly is formerly from Charlotte, North Carolina, which merged city and county police departments some 15 years ago. "We can handle our own," Kelly says. "We've been doing it for years, so why mess up a good thing, you know?"
It is not unusual to hear folks who live in the suburbs to be against any type of consolidation with Memphis. Politicians, in fact, often try to avoid using that word...the dreaded "C" word is how former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton used to describe it. But it appears as though a plan to merge city and county fire departments is nearing completion. "I'm sure that there has to be some compensation with the union," says Memphis City Council Chairman Harold Collins, "..as well as the municipalities that will be receiving services."
Booyah! That's the issue. Collierville, Millington, Arlington, and Germantown have their own fire departments. Those who receive protection from the Shelby County Fire Department pay a fee on the MLGW bill each month. The issue, Collins says, will be who pays for what, and to make sure Memphis taxpayers don't get hit harder than others. "The citizens of Memphis have been supporting other municipalities for years," he says. "We are 70 percent of the county. So therefore, I think there should be a conversation about that."
Some are predicting that the plan might be ready for presentation before the end of the year. Getting approval from City Council, however might not be easy. "It's great to talk about merging government agencies and looking for opportunities to save money," Collins said. "But does that translate to the City of Memphis relinquishing some of its political capital and some of it economic capital?"
City and County officials say a merger plan is close City Council Chairman has questions about who will pay Plan must be approved by unions
(Memphis 11/27/09) The red truck pulls into Shelby County Fire Station Number 1 just before noon.
The station is located in Lakeland, and Shelby County Firefighters have been protecting that area for years. If a new merger between Memphis and Shelby County Fire Departments comes through, there's a chance that the only thing that will change will be the name on the sides of the trucks. But that fact alone is enough for some residents in the county to simply say no.
Spend any time in Shelby County in fact, you'll find that a lot of people don't go looking for the Memphis label. Many who live in Arlington and Lakeland moved because they wanted to get away from Memphis. So they don't like the idea of the Memphis Fire Department coming to them, even if it wouldn't mean any changes in their service. "That idea is crazy," says Tony Kelly of Lakeland. Kelly is formerly from Charlotte, North Carolina, which merged city and county police departments some 15 years ago. "We can handle our own," Kelly says. "We've been doing it for years, so why mess up a good thing, you know?"
It is not unusual to hear folks who live in the suburbs to be against any type of consolidation with Memphis. Politicians, in fact, often try to avoid using that word...the dreaded "C" word is how former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton used to describe it. But it appears as though a plan to merge city and county fire departments is nearing completion. "I'm sure that there has to be some compensation with the union," says Memphis City Council Chairman Harold Collins, "..as well as the municipalities that will be receiving services."
Booyah! That's the issue. Collierville, Millington, Arlington, and Germantown have their own fire departments. Those who receive protection from the Shelby County Fire Department pay a fee on the MLGW bill each month. The issue, Collins says, will be who pays for what, and to make sure Memphis taxpayers don't get hit harder than others. "The citizens of Memphis have been supporting other municipalities for years," he says. "We are 70 percent of the county. So therefore, I think there should be a conversation about that."
Some are predicting that the plan might be ready for presentation before the end of the year. Getting approval from City Council, however might not be easy. "It's great to talk about merging government agencies and looking for opportunities to save money," Collins said. "But does that translate to the City of Memphis relinquishing some of its political capital and some of it economic capital?"
