Council accepts Reynolds County dispatch agreement after debate over cost formula

Ballinger's council voted to accept an interlocal dispatch-services agreement with Reynolds County for fiscal year 2027 after a lengthy discussion about cost allocation and service levels. Staff said the county's proposed increase set the city's share at about $91,000; council members questioned the county's formula for distributing the dispatch budget and expressed concern that city residents may be paying twice — via city taxes and the county charge — without commensurate service improvements.

Council reviewed historical budget figures and the county's math: a total dispatch budget was cited in discussion as $500,272.86, with the city's population given as 3,619 and a per-city-resident figure of roughly $25.27 producing a calculated share of about $91,452.13 (rounded down by the county to $91,000 in the presentation). One council member stated, "The flaw in that is that no other resident that's outside the city limits they can charge that way." The council approved the agreement by voice vote but signaled intent to revisit allocation methodology and to ask staff for a neutral, "fair and equitable" calculation for future negotiations.