City of Bellefontaine

What led to this audit?

The City of Bellefontaine and Logan County requested a feasibility study to evaluate the potential benefits of consolidating their emergency dispatching operations. Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 117.47 provides state funding for feasibility studies that evaluate if greater efficiency or cost savings could be realized by sharing services between public entities. This report provides detailed analysis of the operational efficiencies that could be gained by consolidating, and quantifies the potential financial impact to both entities.

What did we find?

We assessed the feasibility of consolidating operations in terms of staffing and workload, equipment and technology, and location and facility needs. We found that consolidating operations appears to be feasible in these key areas. The report provides several cost allocation models that result in beneficial cost savings to both the City and County. The management of both entities will need to work together to determine the best operating scenario for their communities, with consideration given to public expectations of service levels.