BOARD ENDORSES 911 SURCHARGE HIKE

By a vote of 13-0 (Reps. Frank Proto and Thomas Todd were absent), the Board of Representatives agreed to support State legislation that will increase the local 911 telephone surcharge by 20 cents. Assemblyman Martin Luster will push for the bill’s passage before the current legislative session ends on June 16. The bill will authorize a surcharge of up to 55 cents per month per telephone line. The current surcharge, the major source of the County’s 911 funding, is 35 cents. If approved by the State Assembly and Senate, the measure will become effective immediately and will expire in 12 months. The surcharge hike is expected to bring in an additional $107,000. The new funds will be used for 911 software and hardware upgrades for mobile computers in police vehicles. Media contact: Lee Shurtleff, Deputy Fire, Disaster, and EMS Coordinator, 257-3888; Charles Evans, Public Safety Committee Chairman, 273-5488.