Hot Springs, Fall River County spar over steep proposed increase to dispatch contribution

Hot Springs City Council and Fall River County officials spent the meeting discussing a multi-year dispute over how much the city should contribute to the county-run dispatch center. County officials said the city’s share must rise sharply; city leaders said the requested increase is too rapid and raised questions about credits for 9-1-1 surcharges and long-term budget impacts.

The county presented historical figures showing the city’s contribution remained $55,000 from about 2002 through 2022, rose to $82,500 in 2023 and to $102,500 in 2024. County presenters said their total dispatch budget grew from roughly $151,667 in 2002 to about $492,160 in 2024 and that, on a percentage basis, the city’s contribution fell from roughly 36.25% of the budget in 2002 to about 20.8% in 2024. County officials proposed a 30% increase over the city’s current…