Auditor seeks review of proposed 28E dispatch agreement with Maquoketa; work session planned

County Auditor Lisa Smith told the Jackson County Board of Supervisors that the City of Maquoketa submitted a proposed 28E intergovernmental agreement to transfer or share 911 dispatch services and that the county needs additional review before committing.

Smith said she has read the draft proposal and compared it to agreements from three other counties and found the Maquoketa draft substantially different in language addressing fund transfers, payroll and management. She recommended delaying a work session until shortly after July 1 to allow time to consult with auditors from other counties and to run questions past state officials.

Supervisors agreed the county should conduct due diligence and scheduled a work session to review the proposal soon after July 1. Smith said she will contact other county auditors and the state to obtain guidance and to identify specific financial and operational implications for Jackson County.

Nut graf: The proposed 28E agreement could affect how dispatch services are staffed, paid and managed; county officials emphasized legal and financial review before taking action.

Details: Smith said she will reach out to three county auditors who have agreements she can share, and she noted uncertainty in language about transferring and managing money and whether city employees would be county employees. Board members said the county should avoid taking on open-ended liabilities without clear protections in the agreement.

Ending: The board did not act on the proposal at this meeting and expects to convene a focused work session after the July 1 timeframe to review the draft agreement and potential impacts.