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Dorchester County council raises monthly 911 fee by $2 after public hearing
Summary
After a public hearing with local residents and dispatch staff testifying to equipment and staffing needs, Dorchester County Council passed Bill 2025-2 to increase the county 911 fee by $2 per month.
Dorchester County Council on March 18 passed Bill 2025-2 to increase the county emergency telephone (911) fee by $2 per month after a public hearing in which residents and a former county dispatcher urged support.
The council opened a public hearing on the ordinance to amend chapter 85, section 85.1 of the Dorchester County Code to increase the 911 fee. Resident Dorothy Samanisky Whitehallberg asked how much revenue a 50¢ increment would produce, and council staff replied that each 25¢ increase is approximately $110,000. Ashley Samaninski, who identified herself as a former county 911 dispatcher, said the center was “chronically understaffed” and described worn chairs and other unmet equipment needs, saying “the funds are greatly needed.”
Council members asked how the state and federal collection system distributes fees and whether wireless lines are captured accurately. County staff said carriers remit fees to the Maryland Public Service Commission, which then allocates funds to counties, and noted the county’s most recent data came from 2021. Staff explained the fee revenue is restricted by law to eligible 911 maintenance and operations expenditures.
After the hearing closed, the council moved and seconded passage of Bill 2025-2. The motion carried following a voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript. Council documents presented at the hearing identified differences in fee categories — wireline, wireless and prepaid — and staff said prepaid transactions carry a 60¢ per-transaction fee under state rules.
The ordinance will increase the per-month charge used to fund the county’s 911 center. County staff said local match decisions for related budgets would be handled during the upcoming budget workshops.
Members of the public who spoke were limited to those on the sign-up sheet and the council recorded no further public comment on the bill at the hearing. The council closed the public hearing and passed Bill 2025-2 the same night.
The council did not provide a detailed implementation schedule or an updated revenue projection in the hearing; staff advised that the Public Service Commission allocations and more recent carrier data would govern exact receipts.
