Vigo Co. dispatch faces funding issues

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Vigo County's dispatch center is facing budget cuts, and Indiana's 911 Board changed their rates, which impacts how the center gets money.

As of July 1, Indiana's 911 Board set a monthly price for the entire Hoosier state.

Vigo County’s prices increased by $0.15.

Director Rob McMullen, of Vigo County Central Dispatch said, "The price across the board is $0.90 for home land-lines and $0.90 cuts for cellular phones. Then, all that money is collected by the State 911 Board, and they distribute the money to the counties."

While the price went up, Vigo County's cut of the money went down.

"We’re getting less money because we are actually making up for some of the counties that had a higher prescriber fee. Since they went down to $0.90, and we went up from $0.75 to $0.90, we have to make up for what those other counties are losing,” said McMullen.

That means Vigo County Dispatch is losing $65,000.

The State's 911 Emergency Board also made some changes that will benefit dispatch, but hurt county and city budgets.

Fire and police departments now have to pay for their own mobile devices.

"Now the state says you are no longer allowed to pay for those.  Its no longer an expense paid by 911,” said McMullen.

That means dispatch will save $60,000, which will help off-set their losses.

This leaves the police and fire department to figure out how they’re going to budget their new fee.

Between the city police and fire department, they use a total of 96 air cards that cost $30-a-piece.

That's more than $28,000-a-month that the departments now have to budget.