Mount Pleasant council weighs alternatives as county reduces dispatch funding
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Summary
Council members and public safety leaders discussed a state CAD mandate and a county move that shifts dispatch costs toward cities; estimates for Mount Pleasant begin at about $13,772 next year and could rise to roughly $68,860 by 2030. The council asked staff to seek bids from other dispatch centers and explore regional options.
Mount Pleasant — City leaders and public-safety officials spent the April 14 council meeting debating how to respond after the county signaled it will reduce funding for the countywide computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system required by a new state law.
The most immediate concern is cost: the mayor said Mount Pleasant’s share would begin at $13,772 next year and could grow to about $68,860 by 2030 under the county’s phased approach. “By the time we hit 2030, we would be up to $68,860,” the mayor said.
Why it matters: the state requires a single CAD platform by 2029. The county has historically funded dispatch at roughly $700,000 a year; a public-safety official told the council that the county is “no longer willing to pay that $700,000,” and cities were presented with a plan that shifts more of the expense onto municipalities. That combination creates potential new budget pressures for small cities and could affect how emergency calls are routed and how the city’s radios interoperate.
What officials said: the police/fire chief assigned by the mayor to review options said the city must consider a range of responses: contracting with other dispatch centers (Utah County central dispatch, neighboring county dispatches or state-run centers), joining a multi-city dispatch group, or evaluating in-house alternatives. The chief said the city has already reached out to three dispatch centers for cost estimates and that feasibility work is underway.
Technical and operational questions remain. The council and chiefs discussed interoperability between different radio and CAD platforms: the county’s proposed system (Spillman) versus the city’s current eForce setup and the county-managed VHF radio infrastructure versus an L3Harris system used elsewhere. The chief said the change could require new radios for fire personnel and noted that calls routed by cell-tower ping could still be transferred correctly, but radio-channel interoperability is a practical concern.
Next steps: council members directed staff to gather formal bids and cost comparisons from alternative dispatch providers, explore regional partnerships with nearby cities, and request detailed accounting from the county about how existing 911-related fees are being allocated. One council member urged forming a 911 oversight board to ensure transparent spending if the city is asked to contribute.