Tired of subsidizing the cost to dispatch emergency services, county commissioners have handed over the reins.

The job of handling 911 calls to many cities throughout the county is now being managed by a board made up of leaders from those cities. With it will come a substantial cost increase per call -- from $15.50 to $25.90.

The increase comes from things like paying for an accountant. In the past, the county used its own people but wasn't charging cities for the time that person put in.

"Now that we're a district and not part of the county, we have to pay for them. ... Now those costs are a part of the budget," said executive director Deborah Mecham.

Commissioners Gary Anderson and Steve White say the actual cost per call could be as high as $31, but that remains to be seen until the dispatch has a year under its belt.

The district did hire two dispatchers for positions that had been frozen while it was under county control.

"It helps," Mecham said.

Those who call 911 shouldn't see a change in service, and those taking the calls won't either. The dispatch is going to stay located in the county sheriff's building for now. Dispatchers sent out law enforcement on 70,648 calls in 2008, though that doesn't include multiple calls for the same incident or requests from officers.

"What we handle is a lot more than that," Mecham said.

Cities NOT in the new dispatch district: Lindon, Provo, Orem, Springville, Mapleton, Pleasant Grove and Draper