Supervisors raise alarm as state plans to reclaim some 9-1-1 fee revenue

Supervisors at the Jan. 2 Crawford County meeting flagged a potential reduction in locally available 9‑1‑1 funds after the state signaled it will reclaim a portion of fees to shore up the state communications system. Board members said the county previously chose to build its own emergency communications system because the state plan would have provided limited local coverage; that investment now risks losing a share of local 9‑1‑1 revenue.

County staff member Dwayne told supervisors the county’s share of any recall is not finalized but offered an operational estimate that it "might be up to 15%," a figure the board treated as a directional estimate rather than a binding calculation. Supervisors said the shift would reduce money available for local projects, equipment and maintenance — funds the county had used to support its separate communications infrastructure.

Why it matters: Crawford County officials argued their local radio and dispatch system was built with local requirements in mind (UHF vs. VHF compatibility, multiple towers and patches into state channels), and they said state-managed systems can impose priorities that pre-empt local traffic. The county’s concern is both fiscal (fewer dollars for local projects) and operational (potential limits on control over local communications capacity).

What the board asked staff to do: Supervisors directed staff to investigate the reported clawback and return with clearer figures and documentation; the meeting did not include any formal intergovernmental agreement or vote altering county communications policy.

Provenance: Meeting discussion and staff estimate recorded in the supervisor reports section of the Jan. 2 meeting.