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Delaware County approves $600,000 payment to E‑911 trust to bolster dispatch and fix coverage gaps
Summary
The Delaware County Board of County Commissioners voted Nov. 10 to pay $600,000 to the consolidated E‑911 Trust in quarterly installments to fund dispatch operations and urgent tower upgrades after trustees warned of coverage gaps and rising call volume.
The Delaware County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously on Nov. 10 to pay $600,000 to the county’s consolidated E‑911 Trust to cover dispatch services and urgent equipment needs, including planned radio towers that officials say are needed to fix coverage gaps on the north end of the county.
Carl Tesreau, chairman of the E‑911 Trust Board and Monkey Island Fire Chief, told commissioners the trust had asked for $600,000 this year after the county paid $526,000 last year. "We answered approximately 22,000 calls in the first three or four months of service," Tesreau said, and he warned that demand will continue to grow. He said an additional tower at Langley and a tower at the fairgrounds — together estimated at about $180,000 — are needed to improve missing radio coverage.
Why it matters: County officials said reliable dispatch is central to emergency response in rural areas and that coverage gaps leave some north‑end communities vulnerable. Commissioners said they want clarity on how the requested funds will be used before committing to any larger, ongoing increases.
Commissioner Jake Callihan pressed for accounting of the Trust’s request and an equitable allocation of costs across jurisdictions. Tesreau said the trust has been recalibrating cost shares because some smaller towns historically paid less than the level of service they now receive. Emergency Management Director Jeff Reeves said he is pursuing grants for additional answering consoles and other equipment to expand capacity.
The board approved a motion, moved by Callihan and seconded by Chairman David Poindexter, to pay the $600,000 in quarterly installments of $150,000. "We want to pay our fair share, but we want to be shown what that share covers," Callihan said. Poindexter added that $150,000 is about one month of the county’s Use Tax receipts, underscoring the fiscal impact.
Next steps: Commissioners asked the trust for clearer expense breakdowns and said they will monitor call volume and usage to keep future payments equitable. No amendment or additional conditions were recorded in the motion; the vote was recorded as unanimous.
