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Trustees appoint full- and part-time dispatchers amid community debate over cost
Summary
The Highland Falls board appointed Natalie Welsh as a full-time dispatcher and John Shoemaker as a part-time dispatcher; public commenters argued a local dispatch costs too much and that Orange County could provide service at no direct charge.
The board approved two appointments to the dispatch center: a full-time dispatcher, Natalie Welsh, at $24.07 per hour (annualized to $50,080 for a 52-week probationary period), and a part-time dispatcher, John Shoemaker, at $18.50 per hour.
The full-time appointment was moved by trustee Brandes and seconded; the board approved the motion. After the vote, Jake Feldman (who identified himself as an Orange County deputy sheriff) had spoken in favor of local dispatch earlier, saying a village dispatcher "drastically reduces our response times" (Speaker 4). But another resident (Speaker 2) objected to the expense and argued the village could use Orange County dispatch "for 0." "We are $17,000,000 in debt," the resident said, urging the board to consider broader fiscal constraints.
Board members and other speakers pushed back on the characterizations about expense and emphasized local-service tradeoffs. The part-time appointment for John Shoemaker was presented as the chief's recommendation after a completed background check and civil-service approval; the motion was seconded and passed.
What it means: The appointments fill vacant dispatch positions that officials say improve emergency response but renewed a public debate about the village's fiscal capacity and whether contracting with the county would be a preferable cost-saving measure.
