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Adams County supervisors press for clarity on 9-1-1 dispatcher pay and city reimbursements
Summary
Board members and dispatch leadership debated whether dispatchers received a prior $2 countywide raise and how city reimbursements and a pending cell‑phone surcharge could affect 9‑1‑1 funding. County staff said city reimbursement is calculated on a July 1 average and mid‑year raises do not immediately change the payment.
Supervisors pressed county staff and E‑911 leaders on Monday about dispatcher pay, reimbursement from the city and how upcoming state policy changes might affect the county’s 9‑1‑1 budget.
A supervisor said a prior motion provided a $2 raise for all county employees effective Oct. 1, 2020, and asked why some dispatchers appeared not to have received it. "That motion was made that everybody's supposed to get the $2 raise," the supervisor said during discussion. Several board members and staff said payroll records and the July 1 reimbursement schedule complicate mid‑year raises.
County staff explained the city reimburses a portion of combined dispatch costs based on an average headcount and salary as of July 1 each year. The county’s finance office said mid‑year raises do not automatically increase the city’s payment until the annual recalculation: "It is set every July 1," staff said.
An E‑911 representative described the center’s recruitment and retention challenges and said local pay had lagged: "When I came on…my people didn't get raises. They were making $10 and $9 an hour," the representative said, asking the board to consider pay parity so the center can keep trained staff.
Board members also discussed a pending legislative action that several speakers said would expand 9‑1‑1 funding by assessing a surcharge on cell phones. One supervisor described hearing that legislators were moving to a $1 (perhaps $2) surcharge on cell phones that could bring new revenue to 9‑1‑1 centers.
No formal change to dispatcher pay or city reimbursement policy was enacted at the meeting. Board members directed staff to follow up on payroll records, clarify reimbursements from the city, and monitor state action on 9‑1‑1 surcharges.
