Sumner County 911 board reviews possible $0.36 surcharge increase, training and tech costs

The Sumner County 911 Board on Wednesday discussed a preliminary plan to raise the 911 surcharge from $1.50 to $1.86 and heard updates on a new CAD/RMS implementation, radio maintenance and training costs.

The proposal, described in a board report, would add $0.36 to the current surcharge and — if adopted by the state legislature and if related rule changes are approved by the state telecom board — could generate roughly $36,000,000 in revenue. "This would generate about $36,000,000 of revenue," said Mike, a staff member reporting to the board. Under the preliminary split presented to the board, about 75% of the increase would be distributed to districts, 15% toward enterprise technology and the remainder for co-location or consolidated dispatch efforts. The county's current share, the presenter said, is roughly 1.742%, which would net the county about $160,000 if the increase and rule changes occur.

Why it matters: local 911 funding typically depends on state-level law and regulatory actions. Board members were told the numbers are preliminary and contingent on legislative approval and any rule-making by the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board (TECB), which the presenter identified as needing to change rules for the plan to take effect.

Board members asked whether the proposed increase would differentiate between…