Nearly a year after opening, the 911 center in Flathead County continues to struggle to maintain a cash reserve and set aside money to pay for new equipment.

To build up a reserve and buy equipment, the county will sell the remaining $800,000 in bonds that were approved to build the new facility but not previously sold.

County commissioners indicated Thursday they will approve a resolution to that effect next week.

In November 2008, Flathead County voters approved a $6.9 million bond issue to pay for the 911 center, which is a consolidated emergency dispatch center housing operations previously handled in the Sheriff’s Office and police departments in Kalispell, Columbia Falls and Whitefish.

Because construction bids came in lower than expected, the previous 911 director recommended the county sell only $6.1 million of bonds and save the taxpayers the additional money, County Commissioner Jim Dupont said.

As the project progressed, equipment ended up costing more than had been expected, county Administrative Officer Mike Pence and county Finance Director Sandy Carlson said. And it’s costing more to purchase and maintain the communication towers and the mandatory digital radio equipment than had originally been expected, Carlson said.

“We’re finding we need more money for the repair and upkeep of this equipment,” she said.

To cover the original budget shortfall, county officials shuffled $1.2 million that had been set aside for capital expenses and a cash reserve fund for the center to instead buy equipment, Carlson said.

Now, 911 center board members and county commissioners want to reimburse a portion of that reserve and equipment fund. So the unsold $800,000 in bonds will be sold, Carlson told commissioners Thursday.

The entire 911 center project cost $8.8 million, Carlson said.

It was paid for from several sources, including the $1.2 million the county had set aside, $1.5 million in grant money and $6.1 million of bonds.

Carlson is working with the attorneys who handled the original bond sale, Dorsey and Whitney, and with D.A. Davidson, the financial consultant on the original bond sale, to sell the additional $800,000 in bonds.

Property tax bills issued this fall will have another line item added to collect the additional money to pay off the bond issue, Carlson said. Tax bills already include amounts to recapture the $6.1 million sale.

“When all was said and done we really did need the $800,000, but at the time of the bond sale time we didn’t think we did,” Carlson said.

The 911 center has plenty of capital equipment needs but no money to pay for them, she and Dupont said.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.