MACC, Grant County work on agreement

EPHRATA — Grant County and the Multi Agency Communications Center (MACC) continue trying to establish how the emergency service dispatch center would get tax money from the county.

MACC presently receives money from the 50 cent excise tax on both wireless and regular phone lines, their 0.1 percent sales tax and interest from a taxing district, which is collected and administered by the county auditor’s office, Grant County Auditor Bill Varney said Monday in a Grant County commissioners meeting.

The state auditor requires the county and MACC to have an agreement on reporting how the money is used. The state request came in 2006, but MACC rejected the initial county proposal in 2007, according to county officials.

Proposed agreements were exchanged between MACC and the county.

MACC officials did not accept a requirement in the county proposal to seek reimbursement for purchases using the tax money. They also voiced concerns over the proposal stipulating the need to renegotiate the agreement after 5 years.

MACC Chairman Roger Hansen, also the Grant County Fire District 5 fire chief, said it’s not necessary for the county to review every expense from the dispatch center before the county decides to pay.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had an audit issue or a finding,” he said. “I think the state auditor’s agreed all we’re looking for is the linkage that shows the county’s buying off on it, and the county’s viewing the expenditure’s on it and the MACC board is held responsible for it. I’m not sure it needs to be more complicated than that.”

Varney said what the county needs is a report to show the auditor how the money is spent.

Joe Gavinski, a board member and Moses Lake’s city manager, said the board provided a copy of their proposal to the state auditor’s office and received a response saying their proposal is acceptable.

“They’re satisfied with what we put together,” he said. “I know that’s a big issue and I agree that it’s a big issue.”

Grant County Treasurer Darryl Pheasant questioned MACC’s opposition to the county proposal for recording their use of tax money.

MACC Director Mary Allen said the current process was “cumbersome.” She suggested MACC provide a monthly report on how the money is spent.

“It’s very difficult to run a business operation when you have to, you basically want us to do reimbursements through the interlocal agreement and to have it sunset after operating for five years. How do you plan for anything after that?” she asked. “To have the county withhold funds, that could cause a lot of predicaments if we thought something was necessary and spent the money for it and somebody said that’s not necessary.”

Pheasant said he didn’t think she answered the question about what was wrong with the current process.

Hansen questioned the county setting a five year limit to the agreement.

“Why would we sunset our money?,” Hansen said.

Grant County Commissioner Richard Stevens said he favored the clause but did not detail his reasons.

After the meeting, Pheasant said in an interview the county proposal is to prevent financial problems. He cited a time when MACC tried to spend $178,000 when they had $40,000 monthly revenue left for spending.

Neither side agreed with the proposals and plan to meet again to further discussions.