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Officials warn Berkeley County 9-1-1 funding model is strained; commissioners ask for financial review
Summary
County staff briefed commissioners that the county's 9-1-1 fund is under stress because wireless revenues are controlled and a declining wireline base plus vacancies create a budget gap. Staff proposed a wireline-fee increase scenario and commissioners requested a two-year financial overview and further modeling before any ordinance change.
County staff told the Berkeley County Commission that the county’s 9-1-1 system is facing structural funding pressure and presented modeling that would require increasing the wireline fee if the commission wants the Public Safety Fund to stand on its own.
A county presenter told commissioners that the county’s 9-1-1 fee revenue last year was about $3,498,659, of which roughly $2,461,747 (about 71%) came from wireless charges collected and distributed by the state, and about $1,036,912 (about 30%) came from what the presenter called “wireline” sources (landlines or VoIP). The county is supplementing 9-1-1 operations with about $600,000 of general fund support, producing a total budget of roughly $4.1 million for the center.
Staff said staffing vacancies and the rising cost of operations mean that, if the commission wants the 9-1-1 fund to be self-sustaining, it should consider a change to the local ordinance that sets wireline fees. As an illustrative scenario — not a recommendation for immediate adoption — staff modeled raising the residential wireline rate from $5 to $7.95 and increasing a tiered commercial structure; under the staff assumptions that would produce roughly $433,868 in additional revenue, which staff said would approximately match the county’s current vacancy-driven shortfall (they cited about $403,590 in unfilled positions). Staff also warned that increasing landline fees can cause some customers to cancel landline service and move to wireless-only service, which would reduce long-term revenue.
Commissioners pressed staff on the operational split between capital and operating costs and whether growth-impact fees could be used; staff said roughly 95% of the 9-1-1 budget is operational. Commissioners asked for more detail: one commissioner requested “a spreadsheet of the last two years [of] financials” for the 9-1-1 center. The commission did not adopt any ordinance changes at the meeting; staff said they would return with detailed financials and ordinance language if the commission gives direction to proceed.
"Your 9-1-1 funding model is stressed beyond stressed," a presenter said during the briefing, urging consideration of options including the wireline fee and county general fund support.
