Story posted Thursday, January 28, 2010
Try Again On 911 Referendum Tuesday
Wheeling voters will again decide to accept or decline a surcharge on their home telephones to pay for the village's 911 fund.
The referendum on this Tuesday's primary election ballot asks voters if they favor an increase from 75 cents per line per month to $1.45 per line per month on their hardwired, or landline, telephones. That surcharge, and another 58-cent monthly surcharge placed on cellular telephones, funds the 911 services including salaries and benefits of the dispatchers and all the equipment required for the system.
The village proposed the increase based on the rate of inflation since 1989 when the 75-cent rate started. Current projections show the 911 fund running a deficit this year under the current rates. If voters reject the referendum, the village plans a property tax increase to continue to fund emergency services.
The village tried to increase the rate by the same amount in the election of Nov. 4, 2008. In that election, the increase was defeated by a vote of 6,098 to 4,085.
The state of Illinois sets the surcharge on cellular telephone lines while voters must approve landline surcharges through referendums.
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