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Mendota police chief urges county to take on dispatch, says it will save residents money
Summary
Mendota Police Chief Jason Martin told the LaSalle County board that moving Mendota’s dispatch to the county would reduce annual dispatch-related costs from roughly $309,000 to about $125,000, arguing the proposal would be fiscally responsible for local taxpayers.
Chief Jason Martin of the Mendota Police Department told the county board the city is exploring leaving Illinois Valley Regional Dispatch (IVRD) because of rising fees and the cost of a new CAD system. He presented arithmetic intended to show the county offer would materially lower Mendota’s overall cost.
"Currently, Mendota pays approximately $17,436 per month in dispatch fees. That amounts to over $209,000 annually," Chief Martin said. He added telecommunicator salary and benefit costs at the Mendota police department were pushing the city's total dispatch-related operations over $430,000 annually, and that the county proposal (county equipment/connectivity plus Mendota's surcharge revenue) would bring the annual cost to roughly $125,000.
Martin emphasized the request was not about employee dissatisfaction with IVRD but about fiscal stewardship: "If we can receive the same level of professional service while significantly reducing costs, I believe we have an obligation to seriously consider that." He also said Mendota had identified alternative providers should negotiations with the county not succeed.
