Clay County voters will decide on Nov. 7 whether to implement a $1 monthly fee on any wireless device capable of calling 911 to fund the regional 911 system.

Since 1993, the funding mechanism for 911 has been a tax on landline phones. As the number of landlines in Clay County dwindles, the County is having to pull funds from other places to cover the costs.

This year, the County will pay more than $1.1 million for its portion of the metro area’s regional emergency communications system, which is managed by the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC). The fees from landlines will cover only about $218,000. The County receives an additional $40,000 from state assistance, but that still leaves a deficit of about $850,000. County leaders expect that deficit to grow annually.

The County Commission has approved a ballot question for Nov. 7 that will ask voters to approve a $1 monthly fee on any wireless device capable of calling 911. The fee would appear on your monthly phone bill. That fee will cover the existing costs of the 911 system and allow the implementation of next-generation 911 features.

Some of these new features will include improved software to better locate 911 callers, the ability for dispatch centers to accept videos and photos, enhanced cyber security and more.

In 2022, 80% of all 911 calls made in Clay County came from wireless devices. Another 9% came through VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol – phone calls made using broadband internet). There is currently no fee or tax on either of those types of devices to fund 911, despite them being the source of the vast majority of 911 calls. If the proposed wireless fee passes, the surcharge on landlines will be eliminated.

The Kansas City region’s 911 service covers 11 counties, and each county’s costs are based on their percentage of the region’s population. Clay County’s population comprises 11.4%, and it’s growing. Since the 1993 law authorizing landline fees to fund 911, Clay County’s population has grown by 65%, which is more than 100,000 people. The number of landlines in the county has remained about the same since 2006.

KPGZ News - Sarah Boyd with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office contributed to this story