County eyes hike of E-911 phone taxes

Whitcom could face a serious cut to its funding unless Whitman County commissioners place an additional twenty cent tax on phone bills. Commissioners Monday began discussion of whether or not to institute the new tax, a requirement of a law passed by the legislature last session.

“We don’t have any other choice. We are being held hostage,” said Commissioner Greg Partch.

The legislature authorized the county to increase the current 50 cents monthly 911 tax on each telephone line and cell phone by 20 cents per month. The money pays for providing emergency 911 dispatching service.

The hook, said Whitcom Director Patti Von Bargen, is unless the county puts on the additional tax, the agency will no longer be eligible to receive grants it uses for its operation.

“That’s an example of the state legislature passing some responsibility down the line so they don’t look so bad,” said Commissioner Michael Largent.

Whitcom received about three-quarters of a million dollars in grant funds for the current fiscal year.

“It’s a huge amount of money to us, and it’s key to what we do,” said Von Bargen.

“We would lose Whitcom if we didn’t have that,” said Partch, who chairs the agency’s board of directors.

The county’s emergency communications tax, said Partch, cannot be used for Whitcom services. Voters approved the one-tenth of one percent sales tax in 2006.

The increased phone tax would add $2.40 per year to the bills of average phone customers for each telephone line or cell phone they have.

Increasing the charge by 20 cents each month would add $90,000 to the $225,000 Whitcom already receives in telephone excise tax proceeds to operate the 911 system.

Von Bargen said extra proceeds from the increased tax would be used to upgrade Whitcom’s system to meet demands of a more tech-savvy society.

Over time, new equipment would allow those in an emergency to send text and picture messages from cell phones to 911. Improvements will also be made so calls to any county’s 911 service could be instantly relayed to another county.

“Because of the way today’s technology is used, this has become really, really necessary,” said Von Bargen. “You text everyone else in the world, why would you for one second think you couldn’t text 911?”

Commissioners must decide by Oct. 15 to enact an ordinance approving the 20-cent increase, which would take effect Jan. 1.

Commissioners told the Gazette they were disappointed the legislature put them in a situation that requires an increase in local taxes.

“I’m concerned this will be a precedent the Democrats will use as a tool out of their tool chest,” said Largent. “To make local governments make the choices they refuse to.”