By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- Jackson County, Michigan, voters approved a ballot proposal Nov. 3 raising the monthly 911 surcharge on phone lines from $1.50 to up to $3, according to unofficial results of 36,228 to 26,783.
- The higher surcharge takes effect July 1, 2027, and applies to landline, wireless and internet-based phone service.
- Revenue will help pay for new 800-megahertz radios for the county’s 641 police and fire radios, estimated at about $5.5 million.
- The current radios are about 10 years old and entering a period of declining reliability and frequent repairs, according to local officials.
- If the measure had failed, individual municipalities would have been responsible for buying radios compatible with the county dispatch system.
JACKSON COUNTY, Mich. — Voters approved a proposal Tuesday to double the monthly 911 surcharge on phone bills to help pay for new emergency radios for first responders across the county, according to unofficial results reported by mlive.com.
The measure passed 36,228 to 26,783, or roughly 57% in favor. It raises the surcharge from $1.50 to up to $3 a month beginning July 1, 2027. The money is dedicated to emergency call answering and dispatch services, including facilities, equipment, maintenance and operating costs, and will be used to outfit first responders with new radios.
County officials estimate 641 radios need replacing, 369 for fire departments and 272 for police. Fire radios are expected to cost about $3.32 million and police radios about $2.21 million. The current radios are about 10 years old, and officials said they are entering a period of declining reliability and frequent repairs. The new radios are designed to work when power is out, when there is no cell service and in severe weather.
The county’s current surcharge generates just over $2.4 million a year, and the increase is projected to raise about $2.4 million more annually, according to a county work group. Officials said buying radios could take about a year because the county must first begin collecting the higher fee and complete procurement.
The proposal followed a joint meeting of the Jackson County Supervisors Association, the county fire chiefs association and local police representatives, who raised concerns about the lack of a plan and funding to replace aging radios. They argued that without a countywide option, underfunded townships would be left to fend for themselves, individually purchased radios might not be compatible with the county system, and emergency services could slow.
County commissioners voted 5-3 in August to place the question on the ballot. Commissioner Corey Kennedy, who opposed it, said that when the current radios were purchased 10 years ago, the expectation was that individual townships would pay for replacements. Commissioner Poleski said voter approval would not require the county to levy the full amount, and that the board would decide how and whether to spend the funds.