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Mount Pleasant weighs options after county shifts dispatch costs under state CAD mandate
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Summary
City leaders heard a detailed briefing about a state requirement to standardize dispatch CAD systems by 2029 and how the county’s decision to reduce funding could raise Mount Pleasant’s dispatch share from about $13,772 next year to roughly $68,860 by 2030. Officials said they will seek bids and explore alternatives.
Mount Pleasant’s mayor and public-safety officials told the City Council April 14 that a new state requirement to consolidate computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems by 2029 will likely shift significant costs onto cities unless the county covers them.
Mayor (speaker 1) opened the discussion by saying the state passed a bill to require a common CAD system and that the county presented cities with projected costs. He said Mount Pleasant’s share would start “like, having to pay, next year $13,772,” and could rise “by the time we hit 2030, we would be up to $68,860.”
The city’s public-safety representative (speaker 7) described how dispatch had historically been funded, saying, “Dispatch has been funded every single year, in the amount of $700,000,” and that the county has indicated it will not continue full funding. He said the county intends to contribute a portion and that the remainder would be billed to cities, prompting the city to explore alternatives.
Officials and council members discussed several potential responses: asking the county for clearer accounting and governance (including a 911 oversight board), soliciting bids from other dispatch centers, and considering multi-city contracting. The public-safety representative said the city has reached out to three alternatives — a central dispatch in a neighboring county, Emery County, and a state-run center — to compare costs and services.
Council members also pressed staff on technical and operational details. The city currently uses a lower-cost records system (eForce) but the mandated system — referenced as Spillman — and radio-platform changes (L3 Harris versus the county-owned VHF system) would require added staff and equipment. The public-safety representative warned that some fire radios and protocols may not be interoperable without equipment changes, increasing transition costs beyond subscription fees.
No decision was made; council members directed staff to gather formal bids, clarify what the county plans to fund, and report back. The mayor cautioned that the choices could affect police and fire interoperability and the county’s unincorporated-area service arrangements.