Monroe County officials weigh cutting 9-1-1 surcharge as 2026 budget shows $1.6M shortfall

Monroe County Administrator and Chief Financial Officer Michael Bosaniuk told commissioners the county's preliminary 2026 budget projects revenues of $62,700,000 and expenditures of $64,300,000 — a projected shortfall of approximately $1,600,000. He said the county has rebalanced 55 separate funds and that property taxes remain the largest revenue source (about 64% of general-fund revenue).

A central focus of the budget discussion was the $2 per-month 9-1-1 surcharge that currently funds most central-dispatch operations. Bosaniuk presented two modeling options: (1) a phased reduction that would lower the surcharge to $1.44 and remove about $1,000,000 of pressure from the general fund; or (2) complete elimination, which would require a general-fund transfer of roughly $2.5–$2.9 million to maintain operations in central dispatch. "So today, our revenues in the 2026 budget are $62,700,000 and our expenditures are $64,300,000," Bosaniuk said. "We have a shortfall of 1 point, $1,600,000."

Commissioners debated whether the surcharge — originally intended as a temporary funding mechanism to pay for radios and capital — should be phased out now that the original equipment had been paid for. Some commissioners argued the surcharge is still necessary because central dispatch faces ongoing equipment and staffing cycles; others urged relief for taxpayers. One commissioner noted the surcharge was supposed to be temporary and said, "I think the taxpayer should get the relief," while Bosaniuk warned that eliminating the surcharge would require significant transfers and pointed to cash-flow and reserve concerns. The board asked staff to model options for the Nov. 13 agenda meeting and scheduled a public hearing as part of the budget process ahead of a Dec. 9 budget vote.