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City representative urges Jackson County to set work session on dispatching agreement; supervisors agree to convene stakeholders
Summary
City official said a draft dispatching agreement and a county-drafted work session are overdue; board members agreed to convene city representatives, county staff and dispatchers to seek a solution and scheduled an evening meeting in about two weeks.
A city representative identified as Josh told the Jackson County Board of Supervisors Tuesday that cities and the county need a joint work session to resolve a long-running dispute over dispatching services and cost-sharing.
“Much of that was cleared up by putting minds in a room,” Josh said, requesting a work session and a draft agreement from the county attorney’s office. He said cities face budget season and risk being told dispatching services are unaffordable without a clear, collaborative plan. “I feel like we've done an extraordinary amount of effort,” he said, and urged county staff to meet with city managers, mayors, the auditor and dispatch representatives to produce a recommendation.
Supervisors agreed on the need to convene stakeholders. Don Swanker, chair, said the county should “get the players together,” and Mike Stein echoed that all city representatives should attend. The group discussed options under consideration: the county taking over dispatch (which would make dispatchers county employees), creating a countywide levy, or continuing intergovernmental percentage-based billing. County officials warned of potential setup costs to move dispatching into county control, with one supervisor saying equipment transfers and IT work could range “between $30,000 and several 100,000,” depending on what must be replaced or reconfigured.
The board and the city representative discussed levy mechanics. The transcript records concern that a general supplemental levy requires employees to be county employees to meet Attorney General and auditor guidance, while the existing rural supplemental approach leaves some small towns untaxed. Board members also mentioned a statewide proposal for an “essential service” tax or a modest per-cell-phone fee to expand funding for emergency services, but that would require legislative action.
No formal vote was taken. Supervisors agreed to convene a work session with city representatives, dispatch personnel, county IT and legal staff and the auditor in approximately two weeks, preferring an evening meeting for attendance. The board asked staff to circulate scheduling options (a “doodle poll”) and to return with a draft agenda and the county attorney’s draft agreement. The board emphasized that any change should protect dispatcher employment conditions and avoid shifting untenable setup costs to county taxpayers without broader agreement.
