Dispatch contract reimbursement flat, county experiments with digital recruitment ads

The county’s dispatch representative reported that the fiscal-year 2026 “901” dispatch reimbursement contract with the state is on the consent agenda and remains essentially the same amount the county has received for the past decade, leaving dispatch leaders concerned that the static tax base is not keeping pace with costs.

Mike Martin said the revenue stream tied to the 901 line remains near previous levels and that the county has shifted a position’s funding from the 901 account to another account to manage payroll. He described the reimbursement rate in vernacular terms as “95¢ per phone line per month” and said the state’s static tax rate has the effect of shifting costs to the county.

To address staffing shortfalls, dispatch staff said they have begun using modest digital advertising to recruit candidates. The representative said staff adapted a state-provided ad and are running Google Ads at a low initial level ($10 per day) to target recruits and test the approach; results so far have been minimal but the experiment is ongoing.

Commissioners heard the update and did not take immediate action; the contract and a related consent-agenda item will appear for formal approval at a future session.