Madison County commissioners approve settlements with Bellwood and Alexandria to restore dispatch services

The Madison County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve two identical settlement agreements with the cities of Bellwood and Alexandria to resolve a long-running dispute over unpaid dispatch fees and return dispatch services to prior levels.

The agreements, described by the chair as three-year deals that reinstate the same payment terms the cities had been making previously, follow failed mediation and a period in which the county suspended some discretionary funding for dispatch services. “We were unsuccessful with that [mediation]...But I’m glad it’s done and over with,” the chair said during the meeting.

According to the chair’s overview, the county previously paused nonrequired funding for the Alexandria and Elwood dispatch-related services to pressure the municipalities to negotiate; that suspension prompted both communities to resume discussions. The settlements include payment of arrears and restore the county to the operational arrangement it had before the dispute, the chair said. He added the county council may consider procedural changes to prevent similar disputes in the future.

No detailed vote tally by commissioner name was recorded in the transcript; the chair called for the ayes and the board approved both motions by voice vote. The chair said Alexandria was expected to complete its internal approvals following the county vote.

Next steps: The agreements will take effect once required signatures and any necessary approvals at the municipal level are complete. The county chair said commissioners want to avoid future disruptions to dispatch service and may seek policy changes through the county council to that end.