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Alpena County committee orders May 5 special election to renew 911 surcharge
Summary
The Finance Ways & Means Committee voted to call a May 5, 2026, special election asking voters to authorize a monthly 911 surcharge of up to $3.00 from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2032; the county will publish required notices and cover the election cost, the committee was told.
The Finance Ways & Means Committee of Alpena County voted Feb. 10 to call a special election on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, asking voters to reauthorize a monthly 911 operating surcharge of up to $3.00 per line for the period Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2032.
Central Dispatch Director Kim Elkie told the committee the renewal cannot wait for the August or November ballots and must be completed and certified to the state 911 office by May 15. Elkie said the county covered the cost of a similar special election in 2021 and that the county will cover the cost again this year.
The committee moved and adopted Resolution #26-03, which authorizes the County Clerk to publish the notice of the last day of registration and the ballot language required by state law. The resolution’s certified ballot language says the surcharge would be assessed “in the monthly billings of landline, wireless and VOIP service suppliers within the geographic boundaries of Alpena County” and used exclusively for 911 answering and dispatch services, including facilities, equipment and operations.
County Clerk Keri Bertrand was authorized to take the actions required by the General Election Laws of the State of Michigan to call the special election and to publish registration and election notices in The Alpena News and other required outlets. The committee’s roll call vote to recommend the resolution to the full board was unanimous: Commissioners LaHaie, Ludlow, Fournier, Britton, Konarzewski, Kozlowski and Peterson voted aye; Commissioner Bray was excused.
Next steps: the clerk’s office will publish the required notices, finalize the ballot language as certified in Resolution #26-03, and proceed with preparations for the May 5 special election to meet the state’s May 15 certification deadline.
