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A proposed levy to aid in 911 services throughout Washington County was the highlight of Thursday’s regular commissioners meeting.
“We have been studying for the past 18 months,” said Commissioner Ron Feathers. “We’re really searching different revenue source options for our 911 centers in the county. We looked at levies and even applied for grants, although none were awarded.”
Feathers said competitive counties made it difficult to be chosen for grants, citing one grant commissioners applied for being given to Athens County for $500,000.
The proposed five-year 911 levy would be 0.35 mills and would cost the owner of a home valued at $100,000 between $12 and $13 per year. The necessity for this levy comes from three core reasons: A dwindling use of landline telephones, a cap on revenue brought in by cell phone lines and a state mandate for counties to update to new technology.
“Current revenues for the program come from taxes on phone bills, landlines being one source and cell phones another,” explained County Clerk Rick Peoples. “With land lines lessening heavily and a cap in cell phone revenue we can bring in, it is a necessity for something to be done.”
The state cap for taxes accrued on cell phone bills is determined by population of the county; Washington County’s maximum is $142,000.
For this fiscal year, $130,000 had to be budgeted for use from the county’s general fund to make up the difference, which Peoples said would be a larger sum next year unless something is done.
“This will begin to affect other programs that are needed and wanted by the county unless we can pass this levy,” Peoples said.
The state mandate for all counties to switch to the Next Generation 911 system is already underway but does not have a “drop dead date” yet according to commissioners.
“If I had to guess, somewhere around 2018 will be the absolute latest a county can adapt to this system,” shared Feathers, who explained Washington County is not using the Next Generation equipment yet and needs the levy to help with the cost.
The original quote for this 911 technology was $750,000 but early negotiation and implementation of the system reduced cost to the commissioners to slightly more than $400,000.
Next Generation 911 will expand usability by providing the public with options to make voice, text or video emergency calls from any communications device as well as make the 911 system much faster in response time.
Washington County has three 911 operations; one through the sheriff’s office, one through the City of Marietta and one through the City of Belpre. The county receives approximately 26,000 911 calls per year resulting in an average of 73 a day. This can include a variety of call purposes including emergency responses but also fire squad calls, multiple calls on one issue or a resident not feeling well and requesting aid. The total for 2015’s 911 calls was 26,958.
“Probably 75 percent of our calls are to send the fire department on a squad run,” Feathers estimated.
The requested certification of amount of revenue from the proposed 911 levy was motioned and approved, now to be sent to Washington County Auditor Bill McFarland for approval.
Peoples said the commissioners will have the five-year levy up for vote on November’s ballot.