Proposition 911 important issue on April 6

Among the many important issues citizens will be asked to decide on at this year’s Rolla General Election on Tuesday, April 6 will be the proposed Phelps County Emergency Dispatch Sales Tax known as Proposition 911.

The important aspect to consider when casting your vote on April 6 is that the Phelps County Sales Tax of ¼ of one percent (1/4%) is proposed to REPLACE the existing 15% land-line surcharge applied to local telephone service.

The need for the review and discussion of the 911 Emergency Dispatch Center dates back a couple of years when concern was raised by the County Commission that the 911 Fund was underfunded because of the rapid decrease in the 15% land-line surcharge applied to local telephones. E-911 services and the 15% surcharge tax on all basic telephone services were approved by county and city voters in 1992 with 75% support. Unlike 1993 when the City of Rolla first began providing professional 911 and county-wide dispatch services to all emergency providers in Phelps County by contract, many more folks, (including visitors and highway travelers), are using cell phones today, which do not require a surcharge. This shift in usage has resulted in a decrease in the number of land lines resulting in decreased revenues for emergency dispatch services.

In addition to the dwindling revenues from the existing 15% land-line surcharge, the call volume through the City’s Dispatch Center has grown to 75,000 calls for service, which is an increase of 83% since 1995. And the additional call volumes have increased the need for trained professional dispatchers and better technology to deal with cellular phones. Of the 75,000 calls for service that the 911 Dispatch Center handles annually, 50,000 of those calls are for City of Rolla Police and Fire services.

To show its support for Proposition 911, the Rolla City Council approved at the March 1 City Council meeting a resolution endorsing the Phelps County Emergency Dispatch Sales Tax issue which will appear on the April 6, 2010 election ballot. Please keep in mind while casting your vote on April 6 some of the major points that underscore the immediate need for an alternative funding mechanism for the E-911 Dispatch Center. Please also consider that the E-911 Dispatch Center currently provides services to 15 different agencies, including the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, Phelps County Ambulance, Rolla Police Department, Rolla Fire and Rescue, Rolla Rural Fire Department, St. James Police and Fire Departments and St. James Ambulance; Doolittle Police Department and Doolittle Rural Fire Department; Newburg Police and Fire Departments; Edgar Springs Police and Fire Departments; and Duke Fire Department.

Under the current arrangement (15% land line surcharge) the County covers all E-911 costs for all 15 emergency response agencies and pays general dispatch services for all emergency response agencies except for the City of Rolla and the Phelps County Sheriff’s Dept. While the Sheriff’s Dept. has contributed a flat amount of $36, 268 since 1994 the City of Rolla has contributed anywhere from $200,000 to $320,000 per year during that same time period. The proposed sales tax would be paid by all residents and visitors and would generate sufficient revenues to cover all costs of dispatch services for the entire County.

Mayor Bill Jenks, III