The Franklin County Commission on a motion approved commission order 2025-239, setting the county's emergency 911 tax rate for 2026 and prompting discussion about longer-term funding as landline-based revenue declines.

County officials and staff told commissioners the 15% landline tax, long used to support 911, is producing steadily smaller receipts as residents move away from traditional landlines. A county staff member who identified themselves as the director said the fund previously brought in about $600,000 a year and is trending lower this year. The director estimated that a $1 monthly surcharge on any device capable of calling 911 could raise roughly $1.6 million to $2.0 million annually for Franklin County, based on comparison with Clay County's recently passed surcharge.

Why it matters: County officials said current landline tax revenue no longer covers the full cost of operating 911 services and urged the commission to consider alternative, legally permissible revenue mechanisms to sustain service.

Discussion and detail: The commission heard three broad options during the discussion: keep or adjust the existing landline tax (capped at 15%), adopt a dedicated sales tax, or implement a per-device user fee/surcharge that would apply to cellular phones, VoIP and other devices capable of calling 911. A county staff member explained that a user fee typically is assessed per device per month and would require estimating the number of taxable devices; local telephone companies declined to provide device-level data.

County legal constraints and process: A staff member identified as Mark told the commission that 15% is the statutory maximum for the landline tax. The director noted that if the county pursued a per-device surcharge, the plan might have to be presented to the county's 911 service board and could require some consolidation or formal plan regarding the county's public-safety answering points (PSAPs).

Local arrangements and history: Officials said Franklin County voters approved a countywide 911 system in 1992, and that the county currently shares a 911 hub with the cities of Washington and Pacific; Sullivan retains a dispatch center but no longer answers 911 calls. Commissioners and staff discussed that consolidation requirements tied to some funding mechanisms could affect county and city PSAP arrangements.

Action taken: The commission voted to approve commission order 2025-239. No roll-call tally was recorded in the public discussion; the chair called for the ayes and declared the motion carried.

What remains: Commissioners asked staff to continue researching legal and revenue implications of a sales tax, a device surcharge and a potential tower or user fee and to report back with numbers and statutory analysis. No formal direction or ordinance implementing a device surcharge or sales tax was adopted at the meeting.