By Donald W. Meyers
The Salt Lake Tribune
UTAH COUNTY, Utah — When Utah County Sheriff Jim Tracy took office five years ago, the county charged cities $1.25 for each call to dispatchers.
Now, it has grown to $15.50 — a fee that Tracy says reflects the true cost. Earlier this month, the County Commission bumped it from $11.50 to the higher amount, reflecting a $4 increase for each call.
“Nobody likes their costs going up, but as we grow, the costs are going to increase,” Tracy said.
The county spends $3.6 million to maintain a dispatch center that services 26 agencies, including fire, police and ambulance services. Provo, Orem, Pleasant Grove and Springville operate their own dispatch centers.
Raising the rate was not easy. Tracy said the commission wanted to charge even more — $23 a call — but the $15.50 reflected more of the actual cost.
Tracy said his figure is based on the number of calls last year divided by the money needed to run the center after the enhanced 911 tax — charged to residents on telephone bills — is applied to the budget.
Said Commissioner Larry Ellertson: “The issue was, how quickly could we get to that full cost... and what is full cost?”
But the rate increase is not the solution. Ultimately, officials say, there needs to be a special-service district that would establish a separate tax to cover dispatch costs and ease the burden on police department budgets.
In American Fork, where the rate increase will cost the city an additional $52,000 — roughly the cost of one patrol officer — Police Chief Lance Call said it may spur more interest in creating a service district.
That “would take dispatch expenses and put it at county level and standardize the charges,” Call said.
Tom Runyan, Payson’s top cop, is seeing a $40,000 increase. But he said it could have been worse if the county had gone for the higher figure.
Creating a dispatch district would be fairer since all county residents benefit, he said.
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