911 bill could cut 18% of board's surcharge revenue

BAD BILL?

They want to take more money out of the local level in order to continue the programs they’re doing. It is going to hurt Lee County.”

Tony Keefe, Lee County 911 Director

LEE COUNTY – Lee County’s 911 director issued a stark warning to county officials about legislation aimed at cutting about 18% of telephone surcharges from local Public Safety Answering Point budgets.
Tony Keefe, the 911 director at LeeComm, said legislation in the form of a House Study Bill  332 has been gaining some traction in the state legislature and could soon become a reality.
Currently, the Lee County’s PSAP collects 60 cents of every dollar surcharge that is attached to both mobile and landline telephones in the county.
 This bill introduced is to limit the amount of money that passes through to the local 911 service boards from the surcharge that you pay on your cell phone bills,” he said.
The money is collected by the state and returned locally at 60 cents on the dollar and goes to pay for maintenance on towers, first responder radios, and buys equipment at LeeComm that is not in the regular budget.
“So they're looking to cut that from a 60 cent pass through to 50-cents, and then in 2029, they'll give us 5-cents back,” he said.
The proposed legislation reduces the funding 10 cents for the next three years and then would increase back to 55-cents beginning with fiscal year 2028.
 Keefe said starting with the 2025-26 fiscal year, the 911 Service board will be operating at a $64,000 deficit. They have $1.2 million in reserve funding in the board.
“And I know that sounds like a lot, but to put that in perspective, in order to pay the maintenance contract on our radio towers in the  next fiscal year is $235,000. And, if we continue to work at that deficit, with not raising any costs either due to inflation or equipment malfunction or breakdowns, that aren't covered by warranty, we will be broke in 19 years,” Keefe said.
He said that may sound like a long time, but it’s operating at status quo without improving anything.
The proposed legislation also requires the state’s Department of Homeland Security to conduct a study of the state’s PSAPs to look for efficiencies of scale to include consolidation of services into a 'managing' PSAPs and 'managed' PSAPs that would function under the managing PSAP. Those scenarios would likely reduce the hours of service of the managed PSAPS in the consolidation.
The bill is still a study bill and will likely not make it out of the legislature this year with legislators already passed their per diem reimbursements for service. An eminent domain legislation, which got sorted out Monday and headed to the governor’s desk for a signature, along with property tax reform snags have extended this year’s session.
Keefe said the bill was requested by the state Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management due to shortfalls.
“They don’t have enough money to pay their bills,” Keefe told supervisors at Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Lee County Board of Supervisors.
 “They want to take more money out of the local level in order to continue the programs they’re doing. It is going to hurt Lee County.”
He said he’s talked with Rep. Blaine Watkins who said it probably wouldn’t get through this legislative session, but said there’s a foundation to have it introduced next year.
Keefe said 911 boards across the state are actually requesting a 20% increase in order to make the system better, allow growth, and keep up with technology.
“It’s a minimal raise, about 20 cents per line on your cellphone bill. My humble opinion is that if I paid $2.00 a month and, every time my phone dialed 911, a dispatcher, or telecommunicator, or a firefighter, or law enforcement that can pinpoint where you're at - to me that's money well spent.”
Keefe, as well as several supervisors, said it was time to reach out to area legislators to talk about the dangers of taking money from county levels.
Supervisor Garry Seyb said it's important for residents to let legislators know what’s happening, but said it’s also critical for people to know that keeping this essential emergency service updated is expensive, but necessary.
Supervisor Ginger Knisely agreed.
“I would really encourage people not to just sit back on this even though it appears as though nothing will happen this session, she said. “We're in Looney Tunes with the legislation now. You know we're beyond their per diem and all kinds of things happen at 10 or 11 o’clock at night after a full day of caucus. So, if you feel strongly about this, absolutely speak to your legislators now,” she said.