A handwritten bill proposed last week by a Wichita state representative could end up costing the county $11,000 in its 911 fund.
“We’re going to take a hit, a very significant hit,” Communications Director Don Gruver told the Harvey County Board of Commissioners on Monday.
State Rep. John Carmichael, a Democrat representing the 92nd District, presented his amendment to House Bill 2084, which would change the proposed fee on phone bills from 60 cents a month to 82 cents. His amendment passed the House on a 64-56 vote.
Gruver said most of the increase would go to the Kansas 911 Coordinating Council, and the county’s share for the phone fees would drop from 60 to 58 cents, which comes to about $11,000. That funding accounts for the county’s entire training budget. The county currently collects 94 percent of the fees, but that number would be reduced under Carmichael’s plan. County Administrator Anthony Swartzendruber said rural counties would see their annual stipends from the state increase from $50,000 to $60,000. The Kansas Association of Counties is lobbying for no county to get a reduction in its Public Safety Answer Points funding because the funding is used for critical local services.
(Read more: Newton Now)