Council approves resolution to join Central Texas Regional 9-1-1 Emergency Communications District

Copperas Cove city council voted April 15 to approve Resolution 2025-7 authorizing the city to join the Central Texas Regional 9-1-1 Emergency Communications District, a regional emergency communications entity being organized through the Central Texas Council of Governments (Citcog).

City Manager Ryan Haverlaw said the change redirects the existing 50¢-per-line 9-1-1 fee so Citcog (the regional council of governments) — rather than the state allocation process — will receive funds to operate regional 9-1-1 services. “By passing the attached resolution to become a emergency communications district, that 50¢ fee would then be remitted to Citcog directly,” Haverlaw said during the meeting.

The nut of the change is financial and operational: the district will collect the full 50¢ fee that telephone customers already pay for 9-1-1 service and use it to sustain the region’s 9-1-1 call-taking and dispatch infrastructure. Haverlaw and staff emphasized that the communications district is not a taxing entity. It cannot levy taxes, issue bonds or increase the 50¢ fee without separate state legislation.

Council members and staff said the district is intended to stabilize funding for the region’s 9-1-1 back-end systems, mapping, databases and equipment replacement. Staff materials cited an appropriation estimate (if the district forms and pending legislative decisions) of roughly $7.4 million for the region’s 2026 budget year.

Creating the district requires unanimous participation from the region’s constituent governments. Haverlaw and other presenters said the district formation requires resolutions of support from all 32 cities and seven counties in the service area; officials noted Bell County had not yet passed its resolution and was expected to act later in the summer. City staff described an administrative transition period — roughly six months to a year — when the new district would work to ensure fees remitted by telecom providers flow directly to the new district rather than through the state process.

Action taken: Councilmember Dale Treadway moved to approve Resolution 2025-7; Councilmember Rita Hogan seconded. The council approved the resolution by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting minutes.

The city manager and staff said the district should provide more direct control of 9-1-1 operations funding for the region, while noting the district’s authority is limited to the existing 50¢ fee unless the Texas Legislature authorizes a different fee level.

Local officials said the district would cover seven counties, 32 cities and Fort Cavazos and that the district’s funds would be used exclusively for emergency communications operations and equipment.

The council’s approval sends Copperas Cove’s resolution of support to Citcog, which is compiling resolutions from the other jurisdictions to complete district formation. Councilmembers did not request further action from staff at this meeting.