Daily Herald, Editorial

Keeping the cost of government low is almost always a good idea. There are, however, some exceptions, and one of those is public safety.

People who lived in Mower County in the early years of Minnesota’s statehood would probably be stunned by the vast array of duties that government has taken on in the 21st Century, and for which taxpayers foot the bill. Some of the basics, however, haven’t changed, and public safety is one of those basics, and the job of taking emergency (and non-emergency) calls, and dispatching law enforcement is a key part of public safety. So while we agree that Mower County is wise to participate in a study of whether it is practical to consolidate dispatch into one center serving several counties, we hope that in this case safety will take a priority over pennies. To civilian observers, it is hard to understand how dispatchers who are far from Mower County could serve as effective partners to emergency responders. Perhaps technology has made that question, like so many others, moot. We hope that the matter will be carefully explored and weighed against any potential cost savings of a joint dispatch center.

Mower County, like all governments, should always be on the lookout for ways to save the taxpayers money. When it comes to public safety, county leaders need to be certain that being penny wise is not pound foolish.