AAC F A M I L Y & F R I E N D S
then-Gov. Mike Beebe and the legislature. Te committee stated, “Te state’s 911 system can no longer be funded through wired lines as 911 calls in Arkansas are overwhelm- ingly wireless.” Tink about this: before cell phones, there may be one or two 911 calls for a car wreck. Someone would run into the closest business and dial 911. Now every mo- torist that passes by the accident dials 911, and each call has to be answered and taken as seriously as the next. A 911 op- erator has to be present to answer all these calls. Terefore, staffing has been increased to handle the call volume. Te state levies a 65-cent user fee on cell phones per month;
A
each person with a cell phone pays $7.80 a year for 911 services. In 2015 this fee generated $18,957,120.76. Tis amount was split among more than 130 Public Safety An- swering Points (PSAPs) across the state. Te national average for the 911 user fee is approxi- mately 95 cents, so most Ameri- cans pay around $11.40 for 911 services per year. Another source for 911-dedi- cated revenue is wire-line tariffs. In 2015 the rev- enue generated from wireline
age for the 911 user fee is approximately 95 cents, so most Americans pay around $11.40 for 911 services per year.
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phones totaled $7,390,852.52. Wireline revenues have de- creased significantly over the past years but should plateau since most people have already tossed out their landline. Most landlines now belong to businesses. Te last source of dedicated revenue for Arkansas’ 911 system comes in the form of legislation passed in 2013. Act 442 of 2013, known as the Telecommunications Regula- tory Reform Act of 2013, provides additional funding for county-operated PSAPs. Tis act directed $2 million to counties, using a formula that provided more funding to smaller counties. Tis is a flat amount that does not grow from year to year. Te Tax Foundation released a study in October that said
Arkansas is the ninth highest taxed state for wireless services. If you look at your cell phone bill you will see that you also pay sales tax to your provider. Te state sales tax collected on cell phone service is treated no differently than the regu- lar sales tax. Te state sales tax collections of 6.5 percent are
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State’s 911 system needs to be studied Governmental Affairs
ct 1171 of 2013 created the Blue Ribbon Com- mittee on Local 911 Systems. Tis committee studied 911 for more than a year, and then in December 2014 provided recommendations to
he state levies a 65-cent user fee on cell phones per month; each person with a cell phone pays $7.80 a year for 911 services ...Te national aver-
distributed as follows: 4.5 percent to the General Revenue Fund, 0.875 percent to the Educational Adequacy Fund, 0.5 percent to the Property Tax Relief Trust Fund, 0.5 percent to the Highway Fund, and 0.125 percent to the Conser- vation Fund. None of this rev- enue is dedicated to 911 services. Te lower taxed states have more dedicated revenue directed to 911 services. For instance, in Tennessee and Mississippi the 911 user fee is set at $1 — 35 cents higher than Arkansas. Should a portion of this sales tax be diverted to 911 services? In 2015 there were approximately 2,345,304 911 calls placed to 911 centers in Arkansas. Ninety percent of those calls were made using a cell phone. Sixty-seven percent of the dedicated revenue comes from the wire- less user fee. Te other 10 percent of the 911 calls were from land- lines, which ac- counts for 26 percent of the dedicated reve- nue. Te number that
Josh Curtis
Governmental Affairs Director
the coun- ties focus on is
$20,821,055.76. Tis is the amount of money counties and cities are spending to supplement 911 operations. Te Criminal Justice Reform Act of 2015 allowed the
governor and the legislature to appoint the Legislative Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force. Tis task force and Gov. Asa Hutchinson brought in Te Council of State Gov- ernment (CSG) to perform an outside, non-biased study of Arkansas’ criminal justice system. CSG worked with all the stakeholders in the criminal justice system and has de- livered recommendations to the task force. Te majority of these recommendations are supported by the majority of the stakeholders. Most legislators believe these recommen- dations will be supported in the upcoming session and be enacted into law. A subcommittee of the 911 Blue Ribbon committee has recommended a similar study be conducted on Arkansas’ 911 system. For something to change, an out-
See “911” on Page 58 >>> COUNTY LINES, FALL 2016
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