Minutes 04/27/1971 - Laserfiche WebLink

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TUESDAY APRIL 27, 1971 added police protection, better fire service, refuse collection and disposal, etc. I am convinced, if a merger of the two governments came about, there would be a great demand placed upon the City to provide, within a short period of time, services and facilities now enjoyed by the citizens of Martinsville. Fulfilling the urgent requests of the citizens of the new community would result in a drastic increase in cost to the tax payer in the form of increased taxes and higher utility service rates. Probably other sources of revenue would have to be tapped to meet the demand placed upon the new government. I do not feel that it would be to the best interest of the citizens of the City of Martinsville or to the citizens of Henry County to attempt to merge the two governments at this time. I believe the cost involved in up-dating the County facilities and services to a level of parity with the City can best be accomplished by each government establishing its own timetable for providing for such facilities and services within cost limits in which each government and citizen is willing to pay. There are some areas in which the City and County can and should cooperate in providing for services to its people. A good example of this is the utility contract that now is being negotiated by the City, Henry County Public Service Authority and Henry County Board of Supervisors. I believe that the County and City Governments could cooperate in many areas through contract agreements. I am convinced that the time is not right for consolidation. Rather at such ~ime as facilities, and services and objectives of both governments are generally parrallel; then this would be the most feasible time to consider a merger. For now, we should discontinue further study of merger, total or piecemeal. The citizens of Martinsville and Henry County are indebted to the members of the Consolidation Study Committee for their thorough study. I suggest the committee now be discharged with our grateful appreciation. With further reference to the foregoing Study Committee's report and the action of Council thereon, and upon inquiry of City Manager Noland, Council authorized the City Manager to confer with Mr. Robert W. Grant, Executive Secretary of the County of Henry, to ascertain the wishes of the Henry County Board of Supervisors on the matter of requesting the West Piedmont Planning District Commission to apply for a Federal grant to finance the cost of studying the feasibility of consolidating the law enforcement agencies of Henry County and Martinsville City. ~.,..._.,*..,."_..,_.~".,,,..~.____,~...~._____'__~_~_'",,...._'M~,_..,~."'r""_..".""'~_<,,,",___._-""--~'-'." ".,_.. __"'"_"""."__'<<"'H'__'___"'__.~~'_""_'______~_'~.'_'_'...~,_._._,----_._."- -'.