City of Fort Lauderdale Continues Fight with County Over Costs of Emergency Call Center

In the case of new emergency dispatch centers, it's not always easy to tell who is responsible for picking up the tab, as the City of Fort Lauderdale is discovering.

City officials there are currently battling with county officials over the establishment and costs of a new 911 emergency call center.

Fort Lauderdale City manager, Lee Feldman said the county's proposal isn't enough to pay for the center until a regionalized dispatch system is in place in 2014. Friday marked the fourth time city and county officials have met, and they remain at an impasse.

According to reports, the next step in the settlement process is for the city and county commissions to hold a joint meeting to discuss the conflict. If that doesn't work, they go to court.

“They have an obligation to pay," Feldman said. "We're hoping not to litigate, but we're asking for them to fully fund the center."

The county has offered to contribute $2.3 million to help pay for the new call center, to be opened in 2013, until the regionalized system is in place in 2014.

Fort Lauderdale rejected the offer, saying costs would approach closer to $6 million, and that the county is obliged to pick up more of the tab. The City of Fort Lauderdale is requesting the county be responsible for $3.8 million of the cost. County officials are saying they cannot afford that, since they need to help fund other cities' new emergency call centers.

County Administrator, Bertha Henry told the Sun Sentinel that the county has identified $9 million to pay for part of the new emergency centers of 11 cities in 2013, and this includes the $2.3 million it has allotted to Fort Lauderdale.

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