STE. GENEVIEVE – With the increasing need for emergency services in the area and rapidly changing technology, Ste. Genevieve County is proposing to change the funding of 911 services to better provide first responder services to all of its residents.
The 911 services are operated out of St. Francois County as part of a joint venture. Central Dispatch will soon be upgrading their services from analog to digital for a total of $7 million with Ste. Genevieve County providing more than $3 million in funding. Over time equipment and towers will have to be upgraded and emergency repairs will be needed.
Currently, Ste. Genevieve County spends roughly $500,000 per year to fund 911 services. The current funding for 911 comes from a landline fee that users of residential phone services pay as part of their service. Unfortunately, with the increasing usage of cellular phones and the rapidly shrinking usage of landline phones, this is quickly becoming a funding issue with the county taking in little more than $100,000 in 2022 to fund emergency services. This amount is the tail end of a downward trending spiral of funding for central dispatch services that is expected to continue as time goes on. The county currently spends $400,000 annually out of general revenue to make up the shortfall that takes away from other potential projects.
In order to cover these costs, the county has put on the April ballot a sales tax of 3/8 of 1% to cover these costs. Should the tax be implemented, the landline fee would be removed.
An informational meeting will be held March 16 at 7 p.m. at the Progress Sports Complex meeting room. Officials including 911 Director Alan Wells will be on hand to answer questions for the general public.