Merger drags on

In a strange turn of parliamentary procedure, Allen County commissioners put off for a week ratifying an agreement to merge county and Iola ambulance services. The action — or inaction — came at the commissioners’ meeting Tuesday morning.
On Monday evening, city council members voted 8-0 to approve the merger.
Commissioner Tom Williams moved to accept the merger. Chairman Dick Works seconded the motion, but then moved to table that motion, which passed unanimously.
Iola Mayor Joel Wicoff pleaded with commissioners to take a stand.
“We could discuss this for another year,” and perhaps not be in agreement on all it encompasses, Wicoff said, encouraging commissioners to go ahead with a vote.
Works said he had concerns about how the city intended to weave county employees into its employment.
“I’m not comfortable” with a spreadsheet City Administrator Carl Slaugh produced, which listed each employee, city and county, with columns showing what each would earn in salary after a merger.
Works said he wanted time to study the salary schedules more closely.
“I’m still in favor of a combined service,” he said, allowing that he still preferred it be under county control, but realized “we don’t have the political power” to accomplish that.
“I’m prepared to sign off” on the agreement, Williams said, but “if you’re uncomfortable with it, I’m uncomfortable with it,” he told Works.
Commissioner Jim Talkington said he, too, preferred to wait a week before deciding the merger.

WILLIAMS said his efforts to negotiate salaries for county EMS employees had conditions.
“I’m willing to fight for county employees, but not those who are fighting the merger and those not willing to come over to the city service,” he said. “If they don’t care, I don’t either.
“I fear we have a lot of employees who don’t want to make this work, and it’s time for them to step up,” and say whether they’re on board, Williams said.
Wicoff said when council members voted unanimously to forge ahead with the merger, a collective “cheer went up at the fire station,” in contrast to “a large element in your EMT who don’t want it to succeed.”
That’s when Wicoff urged commissioners to give the merger a philosophical thumbs-up, which Works said “doesn’t bother me at all,” and led to Williams’ motion after a brief exchange between Works and Williams.
A survey taken earlier this year showed one county employee was prepared to move to the city’s service, while 16 said they didn’t intend to and two were undecided.