The City of Austin and Mower County will be hiring a new dispatcher.

The Austin City Council approved the hire Monday night as recommended in 2008 by the Joint Powers Committee, a city-county collaboration.

With the additional workload, another dispatcher was needed.

The county will advertise and hire for the dispatcher, whose pay would begin at $35,000, said Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi. The salary would be split equally between Austin and Mower County.

The hire was included in the Law Enforcement Center budget; it is not additional dollars, explained Tom Dankert, director of administrative services.

The council approved the hire 6-1, with council member John Martin, Third Ward, opposed because of “unresolved issues,” he said.

The county had previously put the position on hold because of impending state cuts.