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Cache County dispatchers seek small utility‑bill fee increase to bolster wages and staffing
Summary
Logan dispatch leaders asked North Logan City Council March 5 to support raising the countywide dispatch fee charged on utility bills by 30¢ in July 2025 and then 3¢ annually for four years (total increase 71¢) to address staffing shortages and rising call volume.
Leaders of the Cache County 911 dispatch center briefed the North Logan City Council on March 5 and requested local support for a proposed countywide increase to the monthly dispatch fee charged on utility bills.
Christie Walker, 911 director for Cache County dispatch, told the council the current combined dispatch and radio fee is $3 on monthly utility bills (established in 2002, with a $1 radio fee added in 2013) and has not been adjusted since. The proposal outlined would raise the fee by 30¢ starting July 2025 and then add 3¢ per month for each of the following four years, a cumulative 71¢ rise after five years. Walker said the increases would be used primarily to raise wages and expand staffing.
Walker described staffing and workload pressures: the center currently funds 20 full‑time dispatcher positions but has 14 filled (two in training). Starting wages reported for the dispatch center were $22.85 an hour (up from $20.85 after a November emergency raise); nearby jurisdictions advertise starting wages of $26–$27.50, Walker said. Dispatch calls have increased from about 39,000 in 2013 to roughly 58,000 in 2024, she said, and the center is operating 12‑hour shifts with additional duty time after consecutive shifts.
Christie Walker and systems administrator Bridal Lowe said the dispatch operation is an enterprise fund that pays for itself through fees and agency payments (including Utah Highway Patrol and Utah State University), not through Logan City’s general fund. Walker said grant money helps operations and training but cannot be used for wages.
Council members asked financial and governance questions. Buzzy praised dispatch operations and expressed support for their request. Other council members sought clarification about the dispatch fund’s $3 million reserve, the center’s annual operating budget (about $2.9 million), administrative fees Logan City charges dispatch (reported by staff as roughly $440,000), and whether reserves would transfer if the dispatch center later reorganizes (for example, forming a special service district). Christie Walker and Logan officials said the dispatch enterprise fund and its reserves are distinct and would go with dispatch if it relocated or reorganized; a city official present confirmed that representation could be put in writing.
Council members also discussed collection mechanics and next steps. The fee appears on utility bills; Logan City is conducting outreach to other member cities and would vote before any change appears on North Logan’s master fee schedule. Christie Walker said the request is intended as a countywide, uniform fee and that dispatch staff are asking each city council for support; any change would require each participating city to amend its fee schedule if Logan’s process advances.
Several councilmembers suggested follow‑up questions for Logan City’s finance staff, including more detail on the calculation of administrative charges, the dispatch center’s investment income, and whether entities that generate disproportionate call volumes (for example, Utah State University) could bear a larger share.
No formal vote was taken March 5; council members said they intended to continue deliberations and potentially coordinate with other cities in the valley before any change is placed on North Logan’s utility bills.
