PORTALES, N.M. (KRQE) – Portales officials are asking the Roosevelt County administration to help cover the costs of its dispatch services. The city says it receives no financial support from the country for dispatch even though 24% of calls come from their area.
City manager Sarah Austin says the country’s law enforcement complex office previously house the dispatchers but they have since moved into their own facility at the Portales Police Department. The city says it will not stop taking dispatch calls in the rural areas of the country but it wants the country to pay its fair share. “The negotiations have been ongoing for quite some time now, and we’re trying to reach an agreement because our joint powers agreement will end by July 1 of this year,” said Austin.
The city plans to discuss the issue at the next council meeting on July 5. KRQE News 13 reached out to the Roosevelt County manager but was told she was out.