911 Center: Failed plan shows lack of vision

“South Sound 911 still homeless after plan fails,” (TNT, 6/17). The News Tribune didn’t report the real reasons the plan failed. County Executive Pat McCarthy’s backroom ill-conceived plan was fatally flawed. Her plan was to purchase a building, assessed value of $6.9 million, by offering $14.5 million. If paying double for the building wasn’t enough, the county was also planning to award the building owner a $7.5 million non-competitive tenant improvement contract.

The claim that the plan would get the county out of expensive lease payments failed to point out that the Health Department and Community Connections on Pacific Avenue presently work out of county-owned buildings and make no lease payments. But once moved into the new location, annual lease cost would be $980,314. Where would the Health Department find the money to pay the lease? Service cuts and increased fees

Pierce County government was wise enough to get out of this plan on its own terms before the public learned the truth that this plan was complex, convoluted and fiscally irresponsible. This was another example of McCarthy’s lack of leadership and vision. We all lose another chance at a world-class call center.

This story was originally published June 20, 2016 at 9:43 AM with the headline "911 Center: Failed plan shows lack of vision."