QUINCY, Ill. — A 73-cent surcharge on 911 cell phone calls is set to expire in July, which officials say may result in a $200,000 loss in revenue.
“We would see about a 15 percent reduction in revenue coming in for our budget,” Adams County 911 Director Steve Rowlands told WGEM. “So it would be a very serious financial situation.”
Cell phone fees account for about one-third of the revenue for 911 centers across the state. Officials at the National Emergency Number association say they would like to see the cell phone 911 fee increased to $1.25 per month, and extended it for at least three years.
“If the wireless surcharge were to go away, we would have to go to the city and to the county and ask for additional funds,” Rowlands said.
State lawmakers are working on a bill to address the funding issue.