CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Bradley County 911 has called for a significant boost in funding and an incremental increase in dispatcher positions as part of a proposed four-year agreement with local governments.
The proposal requests up to $202,000 in additional funding from Bradley County, Cleveland and Charleston in the 2016-17 fiscal year and up to double that for 2017-18. The agreement continues to use an allocation formula, which requires Bradley County and Cleveland to each shoulder 49.5 percent of the funding, while Charleston contributes 1 percent.
Bradley County and Cleveland have each committed $450,000 to Bradley 911 in the current year, while Charleston has committed $9,090. Those figures could increase to as much as $550,000 each for Bradley County and Cleveland in 2016-2017, and as high as $650,000 apiece the following year. In the same two-year period, Charleston could pay as much as $11,090 and $13,090.
So far, the Cleveland City Council has delayed voting on the matter and the Bradley County Commission has yet to consider the new agreement. The deadline for renewing the 911 agreement is Dec. 31.
In a recent meeting, Bradley County 911 Director Joe Wilson and members of the 911 board of directors discussed the agreement with the Cleveland City Council.