Several members of the El Paso-Teller County 911 Authority Board criticized Colorado Springs on Wednesday for its departure from the organization, as they hope to limit potential impacts from the sudden change.
The comments came two days after Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade announced that the city would leave the authority in 2027 to keep $13.1 million in monthly 911 service fees within the city, about $3.8 million more than it costs to operate the city’s dispatch center.
Several board members and Authority Executive Director Renee Henshaw criticized the lack of communication from Colorado Springs about the decision, which was limited to a letter sent hours before the city’s announcement at a news conference on Monday.
Henshaw was also unsure whether the City Council was fully aware of all the steps needed to create a self-sustaining authority and questioned why the city did not consult the authority about adjusting allocations to give Colorado Springs the money city officials believe it deserves.
“I’m not aware of what they do or don’t know, but I would appreciate the opportunity to have those conversations to lay out everything that would be required of the city to completely withdraw,” Henshaw said during the board’s regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday.
Henshaw criticized an argument made by city officials on Monday that the departure could eliminate redundancies in services.
“What is creating a duplication of services will be the city’s decision to withdraw because they will now have to create all those services for themselves,” Henshaw said. “The purpose of the authority and why it’s formed is for cost sharing. … This authority was formed to create robust, reliable 911 services for these two counties.”
She hoped Colorado Springs would be open to discussing alternative solutions that can benefit the region.
The authority’s bylaws grant Mobolade unilateral control over withdrawing the city from the organization, but the City Council must approve a new monthly 911 emergency services fee for its phone users.
Deputy Police Chief John Koch and Mayor Yemi Mobolade spoke during a press conference that Colorado Springs is proposing to leave the El Paso-Teller County 911 Authority and start a new city authority, as a way of saving money. The press conference was held at the Police Operations Center on Monday, June 22, 2026. (The Gazette, Jerilee Bennett)
The three city-appointed board members abstained from votes about the transition and board members Jeff Jensen and John Koch, both deputy CSPD chiefs, stepped down from their roles as board chair and secretary, respectively, to begin the meeting.
Jensen justified the notification of the departure, saying the city gave the authority enough notice to adjust its operations and budget, and that the city plans to work “collaboratively and professionally” to ensure there are no lapses in dispatch services.
Board member Andrew York, the Cimarron Hills fire chief, rebuked Jensen’s portrayal of the city’s sentiment to have collaboration and apologized to the authority’s employees who were “blindsided by something like this.”
“I wish the city of Colorado Springs would have collaborated with this board and it wasn’t just an hour and a half to two hour notice before a press conference with the mayor and about 40 people standing behind him,” York said. “I think that was extremely unprofessional.”
He also questioned the board’s ability to begin budget discussions for over $20 million, with Colorado Springs planning to remove its 911 fees in 2027.
York emphasized that his remarks were not an “attack” on the city’s representatives on the board and voiced appreciation for their service.
A statement from York’s department on Tuesday expressed concern for the almost 30 authority staff members who may be impacted by “this removal of their vital funding,” describing the announcement as a “sad day for the El Paso County Fire Service.”
A city spokesperson told The Gazette that Colorado Springs excluded the authority in its decision-making to avoid potential “uncertainty and introducing additional challenges into the process.” He added that the city made “every effort” to inform the authority in a “fair, timely and consistent manner.”
The board did not discuss potential impacts of the departure, but it established a new transitional subcommittee with its newly elected chair, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Bureau Chief Andy James, and board member Devin Graham, who serves as Fountain’s fire chief.
“There’s a lot we’ve got to do,” James said. “We’ve got to roll up our sleeves (and) get to work.”
The establishment of a subcommittee was an effort to address nine transitional conversation topics the city sent to the authority in its departure letter on Monday, a copy of which was obtained by The Gazette. Those requested conversations include continuity of dispatch services, the 911 service phone fee, transitional agreements and data ownership.
A statement issued by El Paso County Sheriff Joe Roybal on Wednesday afternoon, following the board meeting, voiced confidence in James’ ability to lead the board and said the relationship between his office and the authority has “never been stronger.”
Roybal described the authority as an organization that provides essential needs, including interoperable radio systems needed during critical incidents, like the Waldo Canyon and Black Forest fires.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office provides dispatch services paid for by the authority to over 30 agencies across the county, from the Air Force Academy to Manitou Springs and Calhan.
In addition to the Sheriff’s Office, the authority funds dispatch centers for the CSPD, Cripple Creek Police Department, Fort Carson, Teller County Sheriff’s Office and Woodland Park Police Department.
Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell was also critical of the city’s departure from the authority and its limited notification, according to previous Gazette reporting. He was unaware of the announcement until a Gazette reporter reached out to him about it, which he described as “sad to watch.”
“I have been a member for 10 years as a sheriff and 30 years as a law enforcement officer in the region, and I believe the authority is the best thing to ever happen to our region,” Mikesell told The Gazette on Monday.