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Council raises emergency dispatch fees after public hearing citing staffing shortfalls
Summary
Logan Municipal Council approved a small increase in the dispatch/911 fee to shore up staffing for countywide dispatch operations, after staff described open positions and funding sources. Council approved the resolution following a brief public hearing in which speakers supported pay increases for dispatch operators.
The Logan Municipal Council approved a resolution to modestly increase the fees that appear on utility bills and on mobile phone bills to support the local 9‑1‑1 dispatch center’s staffing needs.
City dispatch manager Christie told the council the consolidated dispatch center is currently funded for 20 positions but has only 15 filled; the center’s minimum on‑duty staffing is three operators with a typical floor of four. Christie said dispatch funding comes primarily from a dispatch utility fee on local utility bills (listed on bills as a dispatch/9‑1‑1 fee) and a similar line item on cell phone bills; grants are pursued but cannot be used for wages.
Christie said the center handled about 58,000 calls in 2024 and averages roughly 116 calls per day. She said the center dispatches for the county’s municipal partners and other agencies, including Utah Highway Patrol and Utah State University, and those contract revenues are part of the funding mix.
During the public hearing, several residents urged the council to approve pay increases so dispatch operators can be recruited and retained. “I’m all for pay raises, especially for anybody that’s getting less than the cost of living amount,” said Matthew Pazeweste, a Logan resident.
Council members questioned staffing levels, the last time fees had been raised and how calls and coverage are distributed. Staff said the basic $2 dispatch fee (originally adopted in February 2002) had not been adjusted in 23 years; a separate radio fee had not been adjusted since 2013.
Following the public hearing the council moved, seconded and approved the resolution to adjust the dispatch/9‑1‑1 fee. Council members and staff said the exact per‑billing‑line increase is intended to be small, targeted at restoring staffing to funded levels and avoiding larger spot‑market costs or emergency service reductions.
The council did not specify an immediate change to utility invoices; staff will provide a schedule and implementation details in follow‑up materials and in the next utility rate and budget cycle.
