Fewer land lines equals fewer taxes to support 911 service
Iowa’s local public-safety dispatch systems are funded mostly through a monthly surcharge on landline telephones, and Iowans are using fewer landlines. Iowans had 2.17 million cell phones last year, compared to 1.9 million in 2007, while landlines declined from 1.48 million to 1.35 million during the same period, according to Rob Hillesland of the Iowa Utilities Board.
Revenue from Linn County’s 25-cent monthly landline fee peaked at $315,606 in fiscal 2007 dropping to $279,852 for the year ending June 30.
The state also collects a 65-cent monthly surcharge on cell phones, distributed to counties under a formula based on their call volume and service area size. Linn County’s share of that fund has increased – from $46,681 in fiscal 2006 to $139,789 last year – but not enough to cover the loss of landline revenues and not nearly enough to pay for the improvements required in just over two years.
