Lake County says 911 consolidation fee falls short

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Updated: February 26, 2012 8:15AM

INDIANAPOLIS — Hammond Police Chief Brian Miller contends a Senate bill that provides funding for emergency dispatch centers is not enough for Lake County.

The state requires Indiana counties to consolidate their 911 centers by 2014. Fees charged to phone users help fund that consolidation. The bill authored by state Sen. Brandt Hershman, R-Buck Creek, sets a statewide fee on land-line users and doubles the fee charged to cell phone users.

“We don’t want to do this half way,” said Miller, who heads the commission overseeing Lake County’s consolidation. “We could move all of our dispatchers into one building and call it consolidation. And yet it’s not really consolidation … we are limited by our funding obviously.”

The bill also makes a state board responsible for dispersing the funds. Currently, a state board oversees the cell phone fee, while counties control land-line fees.

The bill would set land-line and cell phone fees at $1. But Miller and Lake County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Chief of Police Dan Murchek want the fees raised to $2.

“It definitely hurts Lake County’s ability to raise fees to achieve consolidation of 911,” Murchek said.

Senate Bill 345 passed the Senate Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy on Tuesday, 7-2. Hershman promised to work with those interested on the bill.

“I understand it’s not a complete product,” Hershman said.