Routt County commissioners on Monday voted to authorize an application to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to raise the county 9-1-1 line surcharge to $4, a move county officials said is intended to shore up dispatch funding.

County Manager Jay (county manager) told commissioners the administration and communications staff had been finalizing an intergovernmental agreement and supporting documents and that the board’s formal authorization would accompany the PUC application due that day. "We have a resolution on today, for that to raise it to $4," Jay said during the meeting.

Linnea (staff member) said the office had discussed several administrative details and recommended the board itself authorize the resolution rather than a single staff member. Dan and Jim (staff members) worked on application materials, Linnea said, and the PUC will review the filing and advise if additional information is needed.

Commissioners moved and seconded the resolution (listed in the meeting as Resolution No. 2025-078). The board approved the authorization; commissioners stated they would respond to any PUC-requested corrections or refile in June if necessary.

Why it matters: County officials said the change is aimed at stabilizing funding for emergency dispatch services after local partners previously raised concerns about the county's funding model. Jay and staff said they will keep partners informed as the PUC reviews the filing.

What was said: Jay described ongoing conversations with the city council and other partners about the funding model and said staff had been negotiating the IGA. Linnea told the board the resolution text emphasized the county’s legal position and authorized the application.

Next steps: The PUC will review the application and notify the county if more information or amendments are required. County staff said they expected to be notified of any deficiencies and, if necessary, to refile the application in June.

Votes at the meeting: The board approved Resolution No. 2025-078 authorizing the PUC application to raise the 9-1-1 surcharge to $4.