County Demands Cities Pay for Dispatching

Facing a $100 million budget deficit, Broward County (Fla.) said it will no longer pay the costs of dispatching public safety units for the cities of Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach, because 911 fees don’t cover the $5.7 million and $2.8 million costs for the two jurisdictions. In fact, the county says that 23 of the 31 cities that now use the county for dispatching are not paying their way either. Officials from both cities say they’re unsure how to handle the county’s demand for payments, since they both are facing budget deficits, too. Neither is currently considering a plan to open their own comm center. Read more about the budget dilemma here.