Atlanta residents could soon pay more for 911 services if state lawmakers approve a bill now under consideration.
House Bill 650, sponsored by Rep. Keisha Waites, D-Atlanta, proposes changing Atlanta’s charter to allow the city to levy a new “public safety access assessment” to cover the costs — about $16.3 million annually — of running its 911 system.
Under existing state law, a government can charge up to $1.50 per phone line to pay for 911 services. In Atlanta, that revenue only covers about two-thirds of the system’s annual price-tag.
HB 650 has cleared the House. It’s expected to be voted on by the Senate for final passage on Thursday, the last day of the legislative session.
Mayor Kasim Reed described the effort as a “cost recovery measure,” but he stopped short of saying how it could be done.
City officials said they’re still exploring how much they need to charge residents to cover the costs, and what form it might take, such as a new fee or tax. State law only permits Atlanta to collect what the 911 system costs to run — not more. If the bill passes, the Atlanta City Council would still need to pass an ordinance.
“It allows us to recoup our costs,” Reed said, adding the measure wouldn’t increase the existing 911 fee. “It just allows us to recover the cost of providing that service … we don’t have the ability to even cover the cost of providing the services.”
Many governments are facing the same problem, supporters said, as the existing 911 fee revenue falls short of annual costs. That’s left local governments to cover the difference.
Reed spokeswoman Jenna Garland said that the city’s general fund covered the short-fall in 2014 to the tune of $5.5 million, and that the 911 system has an accumulated deficit of about $12.8 million after several years.
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