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Holding Down Proposal’s Cost

Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott did not answer one question on the minds of at least some of those who attended his State of the City speech Tuesday — and that is a good thing.

Among major initiatives planned by city officials is construction of a new public safety building, to serve as headquarters for both the Wheeling police and fire departments.

During his address, Elliott discussed the proposal, outlining why he and others in municipal government believe the new building is needed. But when it came to the bottom line, he commented that “many of the specifics for design, location and ultimately, cost, are moving targets at this point…”

When the idea was broached to the public a few weeks ago, a figure of $15 million was mentioned. Clearly, that was not a firm cost estimate.

City officials continue looking at the idea, in part to bring the cost down, City Manager Robert Herron said Tuesday. Exactly how much can be trimmed from that $15 million initial estimate is not known.

The more that can be cut, the better, for the good of taxpayers — and the potential for voters to approve a tax levy to cover the cost.

Obviously, constructing a building as cheaply as possible would not be prudent. If voters are to be convinced to approve the plan, they will want to know they are supporting a building that will serve police and fire department needs for decades to come.

That forces city officials into a delicate balancing act.

During his speech, Elliott explained why a new fire/police headquarters building is needed. More detail on that will be needed to persuade voters, too — but clearly, the amount they will be asked to go into debt will be a key.

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