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County officials urge legislators to revisit EMS surcharge as local agencies plan budgets
Summary
Beaver County staff and EMS representatives told commissioners that a state surcharge used for emergency communications and EMS funding remains at $1.95 per month per cell phone and that local coordinators are advocating for an increase to better fund next‑generation services and personnel costs.
At a Beaver County Board of Commissioners work session on Oct. 29, EMS officials and county leaders urged legislators to reconsider the current monthly surcharge that funds emergency communications and EMS operations.
County and EMS representatives said the Commonwealth set a surcharge of $1.95 per month per cell phone that is designated for emergency services and next‑generation communications. Local EMS coordinators and the County Commissioners Association have argued that the current level ‘‘isn’t sufficient enough’’ to meet staffing and technology needs, the meeting record shows.
An EMS director present noted that the surcharge supports items from technology upgrades to employee salaries tied to emergency communications and that coordinators want certainty for budgeting. ‘‘It's a dollar 95 per month per cell phone,’’ a county official said. Participants discussed lobbying legislators to raise the surcharge or extend funding levels past 2029 to provide stable revenue for next‑generation systems and personnel costs.
No formal county position was adopted at the Oct. 29 work session; commissioners and staff said they will continue outreach to legislators and stakeholders to clarify funding needs before finalizing county budgets.
