Oversight board discusses shifting consolidated dispatch funding to county levy; forms committee to draft questions

Elizabeth Burnett, an attorney who presented a legal memo to the oversight board, told supervisors and mayors on Sept. 16 that Chapter 29C of state law covers emergency management response to disasters and authorizes an emergency management commission to coordinate and budget emergency response. “If the 29C emergency management commission approves a countywide property tax levy in its budget, the county board of supervisors have a legal obligation to levy the tax,” Burnett said. She and colleague Kristen Cooper also said Chapter 422D covers certain emergency medical expenditures such as equipment and training, and that 34A governs 9-1-1 surcharge distributions and has different limits on salary reimbursements.

The memo and the board’s discussion focused on whether consolidated communications (the county’s consolidated dispatch/9-1-1 center) could be funded through a county levy and on what limits and authorities would apply. The board repeatedly distinguished three legal strands: (1) Chapter 29C (emergency management commissions and disaster response), (2) Chapter 422D (listed EMS expenditures such as equipment and training), and (3) Chapter 34A (9-1-1 surcharge rules). Burnett said the memo analyzed 29C and 422D but did not resolve all questions about 9-1-1 services under 34A.

Mayor and city officials raised financial and fairness concerns, including effects of tax-increment financing (TIF) districts…