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Gage County approves two-year 9-1-1 contract with Beatrice, adds 2% annual escalator
Summary
The Gage County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 on May 14 to approve a two-year 9-1-1 dispatch agreement with the City of Beatrice beginning July 1, 2025, setting the county’s first-year fee at $245,977.06 and adding a 2% annual increase.
The Gage County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 on May 14 to approve a two-year 9-1-1 service agreement with the City of Beatrice that would run from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027, start the county fee at $245,977.06 for the 2025–26 year and include a 2% escalator for subsequent years.
The board said the contract is intended to preserve existing dispatch services while the city explores a future “a la carte” pricing model that could allow other jurisdictions to buy smaller tiers of service. Supervisor Lytle moved to approve the agreement and Supervisor Dorn seconded; the motion passed on a roll call vote.
County officials asked the city to correct a discrepancy in the draft contract where the numeric amount and the written amount did not match, and the board noted it will continue to examine how 9-1-1 service surcharges (including those from cell phones) are collected and remitted to dispatch. County counsel confirmed the draft language would be corrected before final execution.
Board members discussed the practical limits on lowering the county’s bill while preserving dispatch capacity. The county pays a portion of the total dispatch budget (the board recorded roughly $245,977 as the county share for the coming year) while other costs for towers and repeaters remain the county’s responsibility outside the dispatch agreement.
Supervisors emphasized that approving the contract now does not foreclose future changes: paragraph 1 of the agreement was amended to state it automatically renews for an additional two-year term with a 2% annual increase unless either party gives 90 days’ written notice before the term end to decline renewal. That language mirrors the county’s prior rollover practice.
The board placed the corrected contract language on the record and authorized county counsel to send formal notice and handle the ministerial corrections and signature process. No additional financial transfers were authorized at the meeting.
The board recessed into closed session to discuss negotiation details and personnel issues before returning to regular session and voting to approve the contract.
What’s next: County counsel will circulate a corrected draft to the board and to the City of Beatrice for signature. Supervisors said they expect to continue monitoring surcharge collection and city progress toward any tiered service offering before the next renewal window.
