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Public Safety Committee backs raising Montgomery County 911 fee to cover ECC costs, with administrative language changes
Summary
The committee reviewed a proposed resolution to raise the county 9‑1‑1 fee from $0.75 to $1.47 per subscriber to close an estimated $12.5 million funding gap for emergency communications operations; county attorney and OMB staff advised the resolution be limited to the upcoming fiscal year and include required state notifications.
County staff presented a resolution transmitted March 14 that would increase Montgomery County’s 9‑1‑1 fee from $0.75 to $1.47 per subscriber to align revenues with the Emergency Communications Center’s operational costs. Office of Management and Budget and county counsel staff briefed the Public Safety Committee on April 23 and recommended the fee change as submitted, with two technical adjustments to match state statutory requirements.
Why it matters: The proposed increase is estimated to generate about $12.5 million annually to close a projected gap between current 9‑1‑1 fee collections and ECC operating costs; OMB staff noted the most common county fee across Maryland is $1.50 and several counties charge at or above that level.
Legal and administrative guidance: County counsel advised the committee that Maryland Code, Public Safety §13‑11 allows a county to impose a higher 9‑1‑1 fee for the following fiscal year if existing fee revenues are insufficient to cover operational costs. Counsel recommended drafting the county resolution to set the fee specifically for the upcoming fiscal year (consistent with the statute) and to include required notifications to the Maryland 9‑1‑1 board and the Comptroller (in addition to the Public Service Commission) within 60 days of the fee change.
Committee response and outcome: Committee members expressed support for the increase as necessary to sustain ECC operations and noted that ECC operations now handle expanded services such as text‑to‑911 and a higher volume of cellular calls. The committee asked for the statutory‑consistency changes to the draft resolution and indicated support for sending the amended resolution forward.
Ending: Committee staff and legal counsel will adjust the resolution language to (a) specify the fee change for the next fiscal year in accordance with state law and (b) add the required notifications to state agencies; the committee signaled agreement with the fiscal increase and these administrative edits.
