MO: Clay County voters to decide 911 fee on November ballot
CLAY COUNTY — Voters in Clay County will decide on the Nov. 7 ballot whether to implement a $1 monthly fee on wireless devices capable of calling 911 to fund the regional 911 system.
“Since 1993, the funding mechanism for 911 has been a tax on landline phones. As the number of landlines in Clay County dwindles, the county is having to pull funds from other places to cover the costs,” reads a release from the sheriff’s office about the ballot measure. “This year, the county will pay more than $1.1 million for its portion of the metro area’s regional emergency communications system, which is managed by the Mid-America Regional Council. The fees from landlines will cover only about $218,000. The county receives an additional $40,000 from state assistance, but that still leaves a deficit of about $850,000. County leaders expect that deficit to grow annually.”
The county commission approved putting the ballot question on the Nov. 7 ballot. If approved, the fee would appear on monthly cellphone bills.
“That fee will cover the existing costs of the 911 system and allow the implementation of next-generation 911 features,” states the sheriff’ office. “Some of these new features will include improved software to better locate 911 callers, the ability for dispatch centers to accept videos and photos, enhanced cyber security and more.”
https://www.newspressnow.com/news/regional_news/northland/clay-county-voters-to-decide-911-fee-on-november-ballot/article_b9821c27-2640-5fe1-9243-9099d3c81205.html