Houston County 911 director seeks pay increases, equipment and repairs; commission approves FY26 item on first reading

At a Houston County Commission meeting, the county's 911 director reviewed staffing shortages, equipment needs and building repairs and asked the commission to approve changes to the FY26 budget that include pay increases, a part-time assistant and equipment upgrades. Commissioners approved the budget item on first reading by voice vote.

Director Holly (last name not provided) told commissioners her office is "short two" staff and cited competition from nearby employers paying higher wages. "We can't compete with Newberry County. They're bringing trained dispatchers in and giving them $26 an hour," she said. Holly said the commission had agreed to raise starting pay in FY26 to $14.50 per hour and planned to increase certified dispatchers to $15.00 after six months; those adjustments would also cascade to other employees in the center.

Holly described equipment and infrastructure needs, including a $50,000 line item toward an unencrypted power supply (she said a grant is covering part of that) and an aging UPS (uninterruptible power supply) system that is more than 10 years old and may not be operational after recent storms. She also said the 911 office is generating new revenue by charging for addressing and mapping services and that mapping work has produced "about 30 something thousand" dollars in recent years. "Holly now goes out not only mapping but providing, and we charge for 911 addressing. And that's making a difference," a county official said.

The director reported a building repair bid that came in about $50,000 higher than expected; the original plan budgeted $150,000 but the bid increased projected costs, and the foundation problems have caused structural movement in the building, including a bathroom door that no longer closes.

Nut graf: The 911 operation is central to emergency response; staffing shortages, aging infrastructure and near-term repairs could affect response capacity and dispatch reliability, and the commission approved the item on a first reading while directing staff to finalize details for full budget adoption.

During the discussion commissioners and staff also noted the potential for increased revenue if the state raises phone fees for 911 from $1.50 to a proposed $1.86 per line; Holly said that change could add roughly "close to $300,000" to county 911 funding if enacted, though she indicated that figure was an estimate. Commissioners voted by voice to approve the FY26 911 budget item on first reading; the motion passed with all present saying "aye."

Ending: Commissioners asked staff to finalize cost details, to calculate city fee shares for next year and to return the item for final adoption at a subsequent meeting.