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Umatilla raises concerns as county proposes steep dispatch fee increases; city pushes for $20,000 annual cap
Summary
Budget staff told the committee Umatilla’s dispatch fee is proposed to rise sharply under a new county formula; the city reiterated its existing contract provision limiting increases to $20,000 per year and urged greater financial transparency from the dispatch service.
City staff warned the budget committee that Umatilla’s dispatch-fee allocation has been proposed to surge under a county-led funding formula; the county’s proposal would raise Umatilla’s share from the $176,000–$215,000 range reported for recent years to a proposed $312,000 for the next fiscal year, a roughly 76% increase above the current budgeted amount.
The city manager and staff recounted the history: in earlier renegotiations partners agreed to a contractual cap that constrained Umatilla’s annual increase to $20,000 per year until a longer-term alignment was reached. Staff told the committee the county’s dispatch advisory group recently proposed a population-based formula that has driven the new proposed charge.
Council members and staff pressed for clearer financial administration of dispatch funds, saying the county has mixed dispatch cash with general-fund dollars and allocated positions that were not filled; staff said partners saw savings that were not shared with participating jurisdictions. Several council members said they will push to preserve the city’s negotiated limit and to demand line-item transparency, and one member suggested exploring the option of hosting a local dispatch center in the future as the council considers long-term alternatives.
Staff presented two paths: budget the full proposed fee to avoid a shortfall, or continue to assert the current contractual approach and budget conservatively for only a $20,000 annual increase. The committee did not adopt a final budget decision on the dispatch charge; staff asked for direction and will return with recommended language and options.
