Trending...
- Governor Polis Discusses Colorado's National Leadership In Education at the National Governors Association Convening in Oklahoma City
- Colorado: Governor Polis Orders Flags to Fly at Half-Staff to Honor Heroic Wildland Fire Service Firefighter Who Died Fighting the Knowles Fire in Mesa County
- Colorado: Governor Polis Announces Staff Updates
In June 2026, the City of Colorado Springs announced its intention to separate from the existing El Paso-Teller County 911 Authority (EPTC-911) and establish a standalone City authority. The development of this authority is pending approval of the Colorado Springs City Council.
Colorado Springs made this decision after a careful analysis of current EPTC-911 revenue and funding distribution, the public safety needs of the citizens of Colorado Springs, and because the City is pursuing a different technology path than many of our regional partners.
The city-specific model Colorado Springs is pursuing is not a new idea. It has been, and is, the model used for decades by other large Colorado cities, including Denver, Aurora, and Pueblo. These cities and their surrounding partners have existed on separate funding mechanisms for many years, and each of these regions maintains robust 911 services and regional partnerships with each other.
It is also important to understand that, while EPTC-911 serves an important role in the region's 911 infrastructure, it does not answer 911 calls or dispatch first responders. Local public agencies, like the Colorado Springs 911 Center, answer those calls.
EPTC-911 serves our region as an administrative body that collects public funds, provides financial and technology support to 911 centers, conducts public outreach, and performs other administrative tasks. The six 911 centers it provides support to are Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Teller County, Woodland Park, Cripple Creek, and Fort Carson.
Given recent public statements, Colorado Springs is providing additional context to our decision. We believe this context is key to understanding Colorado Springs' position and the reason we are advocating for this change.
2025 United States Census Bureau data list the following population information for Colorado Springs, El Paso County, and Teller County:
The City of Colorado Springs represents over 63 percent of the regional population within EPTC-911, and our city's 911 center receives nearly 75 percent of all 911 calls in the region. As a result, Colorado Springs residents also contribute the majority of funding to EPTC-911. However, Colorado Springs residents have only three dedicated voting positions of nine total on the EPTC-911 board. Colorado Springs residents' dedicated voting share is not proportional to their population, 911 call volume, and revenue contribution.
More on Colorado Desk
Additionally, while there is no specific way to determine the exact amount of 911 surcharge revenue paid by a city or county within a regional authority, the majority of surcharge payments come from cellular telephones. Based on population data, it is estimated that residents and businesses in these jurisdictions will pay the following amount of 911 surcharges in 2026:
These surcharges are collected by EPTC-911 from telephone service providers in these jurisdictions and placed into a regional funding pool. That regional funding pool does not have a defined formula for how money is equitably distributed to various 911 centers based on their size, population served, or 911 call volume.
Colorado Springs believes our residents and businesses are materially disadvantaged under the current EPTC-911 funding structure. Multiple publicly available budgetary and funding documents from EPTC-911 show Colorado Springs residents receive much less funding on a per-resident or per-911 call basis than other jurisdictions within EPTC-911.
An example of this is salary assistance, which the surcharge revenue pays for as authorized by Colorado law. EPTC-911 distributes $50,000 per year for each authorized 911 dispatcher and call taker position in a 911 center, and this money helps offset the cost of those salaries. In 2026, the following amounts of salary assistance will be paid to the area 911 centers with public funding collected by EPTC-911:
* Teller County population minus Woodland Park & Cripple Creek, which have their own 911 centers.
** 2026 year-to-date 911 call volume ending May 2026, per EPTC-911 data.
In this example, Colorado Springs residents receive up to 54 times less salary assistance funding on a per-resident basis, and up to 28 times less salary assistance funding on a per-911 call basis, than other jurisdictions within EPTC-911. Similar concerns exist in the purchasing of equipment and other areas.
In another example, as of May 2026, the average annual salary of an EPTC-911 employee is $113,370. For this same period, the average annual salary of a Colorado Springs 911 center employee is $64,313.
These data points are just a few that illustrate a key point in our proposed separation: Colorado Springs residents and businesses are providing millions of dollars of 911 surcharge revenue to a regional authority at a time the City faces significant funding shortfalls, while shouldering the bulk of regional administrative, technology, and program costs within EPTC-911.
The City of Colorado Springs believes public safety partnerships are critical, and we will continue them as we always have. Our public safety departments lead or partner in many of our current regional collaborations, including the Metro Division, the Internet Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force, Pikes Peak Regional Communications Network, Pikes Peak Fire Chiefs Council, and Pikes Peak Mutual Aid, to name a few. However, partnership must also be equitable. Colorado Springs cannot continue under a model that requires its residents and businesses to disproportionately subsidize costs outside our city while we face our own critical public safety needs.
In the days following our separation notice to EPTC-911, Colorado Springs representatives proactively met with EPTC-911 leadership to convey our willingness to listen to proposals for the City to remain within EPTC-911. The City continues to welcome those discussions, with the understanding that any realistic proposal should ensure equitable treatment to all jurisdictions. At a minimum, this means:
Colorado Springs recognizes that any separation or restructuring requires our elected officials, public safety leaders, city, regional partners, and EPTC-911 to continue working closely together. The City is committed to ensuring that this occurs and seeks a regional 911 future that is equitable to everyone while maintaining public safety as our highest priority.
Colorado Springs made this decision after a careful analysis of current EPTC-911 revenue and funding distribution, the public safety needs of the citizens of Colorado Springs, and because the City is pursuing a different technology path than many of our regional partners.
The city-specific model Colorado Springs is pursuing is not a new idea. It has been, and is, the model used for decades by other large Colorado cities, including Denver, Aurora, and Pueblo. These cities and their surrounding partners have existed on separate funding mechanisms for many years, and each of these regions maintains robust 911 services and regional partnerships with each other.
It is also important to understand that, while EPTC-911 serves an important role in the region's 911 infrastructure, it does not answer 911 calls or dispatch first responders. Local public agencies, like the Colorado Springs 911 Center, answer those calls.
EPTC-911 serves our region as an administrative body that collects public funds, provides financial and technology support to 911 centers, conducts public outreach, and performs other administrative tasks. The six 911 centers it provides support to are Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Teller County, Woodland Park, Cripple Creek, and Fort Carson.
Given recent public statements, Colorado Springs is providing additional context to our decision. We believe this context is key to understanding Colorado Springs' position and the reason we are advocating for this change.
2025 United States Census Bureau data list the following population information for Colorado Springs, El Paso County, and Teller County:
JURISDICTION | POPULATION | REGIONAL POPULATION % |
Colorado Springs | 494,743 | 63.28 |
El Paso County – not including Colorado Springs | 262,297 | 33.55 |
Teller County – including Woodland Park & Cripple Creek | 24,756 | 3.17 |
TOTAL | 781,796 | 100.0% |
The City of Colorado Springs represents over 63 percent of the regional population within EPTC-911, and our city's 911 center receives nearly 75 percent of all 911 calls in the region. As a result, Colorado Springs residents also contribute the majority of funding to EPTC-911. However, Colorado Springs residents have only three dedicated voting positions of nine total on the EPTC-911 board. Colorado Springs residents' dedicated voting share is not proportional to their population, 911 call volume, and revenue contribution.
More on Colorado Desk
- Cellofest Brings Free Cello Concerts and Community Events to Bethany Beach August 5–16
- Blue Sky Capital Strategies, LLC awarded Leasing and Financial Services agreement with Premier Inc
- Michael M. Thomas Expands Executive Leadership Across Central India Outreach and Royal Trinity School
- Colorado: SteadyFlow LLC Joins Rural Jump-Start Program, Bringing 20 New Jobs to Fremont County
- Northeast Airlines and Travel, Inc. Initiates FAA Part 121 Certification for Boeing 737-800 Freighter Cargo Operations
Additionally, while there is no specific way to determine the exact amount of 911 surcharge revenue paid by a city or county within a regional authority, the majority of surcharge payments come from cellular telephones. Based on population data, it is estimated that residents and businesses in these jurisdictions will pay the following amount of 911 surcharges in 2026:
JURISDICTION | SURCHARGE PAID |
Colorado Springs | $13,109,518 |
El Paso County – not including Colorado Springs | $6,950,436 |
Teller County – including Woodland Park & Cripple Creek | $656,077 |
TOTAL | $20,716,031 |
These surcharges are collected by EPTC-911 from telephone service providers in these jurisdictions and placed into a regional funding pool. That regional funding pool does not have a defined formula for how money is equitably distributed to various 911 centers based on their size, population served, or 911 call volume.
Colorado Springs believes our residents and businesses are materially disadvantaged under the current EPTC-911 funding structure. Multiple publicly available budgetary and funding documents from EPTC-911 show Colorado Springs residents receive much less funding on a per-resident or per-911 call basis than other jurisdictions within EPTC-911.
An example of this is salary assistance, which the surcharge revenue pays for as authorized by Colorado law. EPTC-911 distributes $50,000 per year for each authorized 911 dispatcher and call taker position in a 911 center, and this money helps offset the cost of those salaries. In 2026, the following amounts of salary assistance will be paid to the area 911 centers with public funding collected by EPTC-911:
911 CENTER | # POSITIONS FUNDED | 2026 SALARY ASSISTANCE | POPULATION | FUNDING PER RESIDENT | FUNDING PER 911 CALL ** |
Colorado Springs | 91 | $4,550,000 | 494,743 | $9.20 | $20.00 |
El Paso County – excluding Colorado Springs | 56 | $2,800,000 | 262,297 | $10.67 | $42.53 |
Teller County | 15 | $750,000 | 15,787 * | $47.51 | $194.82 |
Woodland Park | 9 | $450,000 | 8,014 | $56.15 | $248.01 |
Cripple Creek | 9.5 | $475,000 | 955 | $497.38 | $568.72 More on Colorado Desk
|
* Teller County population minus Woodland Park & Cripple Creek, which have their own 911 centers.
** 2026 year-to-date 911 call volume ending May 2026, per EPTC-911 data.
In this example, Colorado Springs residents receive up to 54 times less salary assistance funding on a per-resident basis, and up to 28 times less salary assistance funding on a per-911 call basis, than other jurisdictions within EPTC-911. Similar concerns exist in the purchasing of equipment and other areas.
In another example, as of May 2026, the average annual salary of an EPTC-911 employee is $113,370. For this same period, the average annual salary of a Colorado Springs 911 center employee is $64,313.
These data points are just a few that illustrate a key point in our proposed separation: Colorado Springs residents and businesses are providing millions of dollars of 911 surcharge revenue to a regional authority at a time the City faces significant funding shortfalls, while shouldering the bulk of regional administrative, technology, and program costs within EPTC-911.
The City of Colorado Springs believes public safety partnerships are critical, and we will continue them as we always have. Our public safety departments lead or partner in many of our current regional collaborations, including the Metro Division, the Internet Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force, Pikes Peak Regional Communications Network, Pikes Peak Fire Chiefs Council, and Pikes Peak Mutual Aid, to name a few. However, partnership must also be equitable. Colorado Springs cannot continue under a model that requires its residents and businesses to disproportionately subsidize costs outside our city while we face our own critical public safety needs.
In the days following our separation notice to EPTC-911, Colorado Springs representatives proactively met with EPTC-911 leadership to convey our willingness to listen to proposals for the City to remain within EPTC-911. The City continues to welcome those discussions, with the understanding that any realistic proposal should ensure equitable treatment to all jurisdictions. At a minimum, this means:
- A restructured Intergovernmental Agreement for EPTC-911.
- Dedicated EPTC-911 board voting representation that equitably reflects population share, 911 call volume, and surcharge contributions.
- A restructured, equitable, and defined method for distributing the public funding provided to EPTC-911.
- Administrative cost reform within EPTC-911.
Colorado Springs recognizes that any separation or restructuring requires our elected officials, public safety leaders, city, regional partners, and EPTC-911 to continue working closely together. The City is committed to ensuring that this occurs and seeks a regional 911 future that is equitable to everyone while maintaining public safety as our highest priority.
0 Comments
Latest on Colorado Desk
- Governor Polis Celebrates Colorado as Home to Three of the World's Top 400 Universities
- Colorado Celebrates Disability Pride Month and the 36th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Return on Higher Education Remains Strong for Colorado Students
- Governor Polis Discusses Colorado's National Leadership In Education at the National Governors Association Convening in Oklahoma City
- Anamorphic 3D Only Works on Fixed Screens. Loud! OOH Put It on a Moving Ad Van for Flood Re
- From DJ Booths to Disney: Orlando Author Ryan Tiffin Launches "Chasing Magic"
- Colorado Springs Airport Monthly Update — June 2026
- FDA Food Recall Notices After Outbreak Linked to 98 Hospitalizations: Practical Tips for Safer Grocery Shopping
- The 'Tax Squeeze': Betsson's Record Quarter Previews the Economics of Finland's 2027 Casino Market
- ImagineX Acquires Payteros to Strengthen Digital Transformation Capabilities
- Imagiportal Integrates with Story L1 Blockchain to Empower AI Creators with True IP Ownership
- MORTL Launches Free Death Planning Platform for Every U.S. State
- From Pizza to Playlists: Marty The Pizza Guy Delivers Three Delicious New Songs
- Colorado: Governor Polis Orders Flags to Fly at Half-Staff to Honor Heroic Wildland Fire Service Firefighter Who Died Fighting the Knowles Fire in Mesa County
- Councilmember Gold celebrates Colorado Springs City Council unanimously adopting the Southeast Strong Community Plan after five-year community effort
- Colorado: ACCO Engineered Systems Selects El Paso County for New Fabrication Facility and Expansion
- Colorado: Governor Polis and Department of Public Safety Release Violent and Property Crime Decreases in 2025
- Park Hill Financial District Hosts 9th Annual Backpack 2 School Community Day
- Salestrics Introduces PraiseEngine: The AI-Native Review Engine Built to Fix Social Proof
- Colorado: Governor Polis Memorializes Verbal Disaster Declaration on Sheep Head Fire in Huerfano County