Communications director urges final step in multi‑year pay plan for 9‑1‑1 staff

The Delaware County communications director argued the county should approve the final step in a previously announced multi‑year salary plan for 9‑1‑1 personnel, saying the pay increase would keep trained dispatchers from leaving and improve recruitment.

Director said the office has followed a structured, staged approach to raise salaries over several years and that last year’s decision to phase increases left the department short of competitive pay. He told the council that nearby agencies recently raised pay and that the communications center is at risk of losing trained staff unless the final adjustment is approved. He noted the department’s staffing study from two years ago recommended additional positions and that the recommended complement has increased given call volume growth.

Council members were receptive to the need for competitive pay but noted county‑wide budget pressure and the council’s decision earlier in the session to revert most salary increases to 2025 levels. Several members proposed removing the extra new position but maintaining the planned increases for current staff if possible. Others urged a more conservative approach, pointing to the county’s overall budget gap and asking staff to return with exact total costs for the raises including FICA, PERF and workers’ compensation impacts.

Ending: The council did not finalize a decision at the meeting. Members asked communications staff to provide precise total cost figures (including benefits) and to confirm any offsets or givebacks that could cover the raises; the item will be revisited as the council finalizes budget reductions.