A photo of the emergency radio tower at Leviathan Fire Lookout in Alpine County. Federal Engineering photo
A proposed increase to the maximum 911 surcharge on phone lines would make more of a dent in the $10 million required to improve emergency communications infrastructure in Douglas County if the fund wasn’t handcuffed with a $500,000 maximum, commissioners were told on Thursday.
Commissioners introduced a 25-cent increase in the surcharge that would increase to the state limit of $1. The $183,000 increase is still subject to a vote before it will be implemented.
One of the challenges for the system, which includes Douglas County Dispatch is that it cannot have more than $500,000 at the end of its fiscal year under state law.
“Definitely the amount we’re allowed to keep in reserve in this account is having an impact on how and when we spend this money,” County Manager Jenifer Davidson said. “What it means is that when we look at long-term and capital expenses related to 911 and dispatching infrastructure, we have a $10 million expense on the horizon for which we have not set aside sufficient funding.”
Trisected by the Carson Range and the Pine Nut Mountains, Douglas has long had issues with radio communications.
But there are dead spots along the northwestern edge of Carson Valley, too.
“We have a significant investment in very old radio infrastructure that we need to make,” Davidson said. “This is one potential funding source for that, but one of the reasons we have not set aside sufficient funding for this is equipment is because of the statutory limitation here. The reality of the situation means that a large portion of the expenses associated with this operation are borne by the general fund. Another reason why our general fund is trapped at this time.”
Funding for emergency radio communications related to 911 comes from a 1990 tax override approved by voters and the surcharge.
Douglas provides emergency services communications for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, East Fork and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts, Alpine County and the Washoe Tribe.
Most of the 23,525 emergency calls generated in 2023 were for the Sheriff’s Office.
The program is budgeted for $565,000 revenue for fiscal year 2024-25 and has spent $225,069 as of Thursday, Douglas County Emergency Manager Kara Easton said.
The county has $1.45 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to work on the system. Much of the rest of the $10 million will have to come from grants.
The radio system is just one of several major capital projects the county is taking on, including building a new justice center and the construction of Muller Lane Parkway.
