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Commissioners press lawmakers on proposed 911 fee as radio-upgrade costs loom
Summary
County officials urged state lawmakers to back a proposed increase to the emergency-service carrier fee (referred to in the meeting as House/Senate bill 1037), saying fee revenue funds critical radio upgrades, portable radios and dispatch operations; officials cited $949,000 and multi-million-dollar grant needs for full system upgrades.
County commissioners used their Nov. 11 meeting to press the urgency of increasing a carrier/911 fee tied to statewide funding for radio upgrades, saying the county relies on the fee revenue to maintain dispatch salaries, equipment and compatibility across agencies.
Commissioners and staff described a multi-year upgrade to a digital radio system. Officials said the county is applying for grant funding for portable radios and tower/communications-center work; figures discussed included roughly $949,000 in portable-radio expense for police portables alone and a larger infrastructure grant in the range of $5 million to install equipment at tower sites and the communications center. Staff said the current grant and program cycles are competitive and that failure of proposed fee legislation would push upgrades further back.
County officials referenced a pending state-level bill identified in the discussion as House/Senate bill 1037 that would raise the fee collected on some cellular services to provide county revenue for emergency communications. Commissioners warned that carriers oppose fee increases and that without action the county could lose an estimated $2 million a year in existing fee revenue; several commissioners said failing to secure that revenue threatens the county’s ability to replace aging equipment and stabilize dispatcher staffing.
Officials noted that some fire departments and municipalities apply for similar grants individually, which increases competition and reduces the efficiencies of a coordinated countywide approach. Staff said the county’s analog system will likely remain in service for a further two to three years while digital upgrades are phased, and that the county will continue pursuing multiple grant applications and congressional funding opportunities.
The board approved an LSA grant and resolution related to communications equipment at the meeting and reiterated a commitment to pursue funds to limit future interoperability failures across jurisdictions.
