Meeting held on consolidation of Erlanger dispatch center

ERLANGER, Ky. - The move to consolidate 911 dispatch in Kenton County is meeting with some resistance from Erlanger.

If the city of Erlanger has to do away with its dispatch center, it will be housed at Kenton County's dispatch center in Independence.

Erlanger Mayor Tom Rouse said it is the last city in the county that needs to consolidate.

Covington will be making the move to the county's dispatch center in September.

During a meeting held inside Erlanger Council Chambers Tuesday night, local officials and the public stressed their fears if a consolidation should happen. While Kenton County believes consolidation will save money, Mayor Rouse said he refuses to consolidate with Kenton County unless the new system is as good as Erlanger's.

"When we already have a beautiful system, why are we building a new one," Rouse said. "It makes no sense to me as a taxpayer. My taxes are going up as a result. It's a bad decision."

"They're going to save money and stay in a budget they've already proposed and cut the number of personnel that exist now in the three centers," Erlanger Police Chief Marc Fields said.

Fields said he is not sure what to expect if a consolidation happens in the future. He said he can foresee an increase in the number of calls, which could cut down on response time in an emergency.

Rouse said he would like to see Kenton County let each individual city decide where its dispatch center should go.