DES MOINES, Iowa — A coalition of public safety leaders is meeting on Monday at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to discuss the potential impact of a proposed 911 systems charge.
Law enforcement is urging Governor Kim Reynolds to item veto a proposed fee that was included in the larger appropriations bill, which passed in the final hours before the Iowa Legislature adjourned for the year.
The bill would charge the state’s 112 dispatch centers for “reasonable costs” associated with delivering 911 traffic to public safety answering points. In other words, the bill wants these centers to pay for the expenses of routing 911 calls to the right emergency response centers.
The bill does not specify what the cost is, but 911 boards are expected to pay it within 30 days.
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911 dispatchers are funded by the $1 surcharge on phone bills. Polk County previously told WHO 13 News that they collected $3.9 million from this surcharge, while their cost was over $16.9 million.
“We start already in the hold where local governments are having to make up that difference and we’re feeling a pinch, a squeeze from the legislature on other local government budgets, and then this comes around,” said A.J. Mumm, the director of the Polk County Emergency Management Agency. “It’s really difficult to understand and frustrating because many of us have worked throughout the year to find a compromise to be able to provide this kind of service.”
Mumm said this proposed fee could potentially slow down these important services.
“This is one of the most critical services that we have. And so, it’s important for those that are having maybe the worst day of their life to connect to those that can help them. And that’s an expensive process, but it’s a critical one,” he said.
Governor Reynolds has until mid-June to item veto the fee or sign the bill into law.
The Iowa State Sheriffs’ & Deputies’ Association (ISSDA), the Iowa Police Chiefs Association (IPCA), the Iowa Emergency Management Association (IEMA), the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) – Iowa Chapter, and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) – Iowa Chapter will all be in attendance at the meeting on Monday.
The meeting will take place at 1:30 p.m. at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Headquarters at 5995 NE 14th Street in Des Moines.