State 911 Excise Tax.
A state 911 excise tax in the amount of up to 25 cents per line is imposed on all switch access lines, radio access lines, or interconnected voice over internet protocol service lines in the state. The tax must be uniform across all lines.
County 911 Excise Tax.
Counties are authorized to impose a county 911 excise tax on the use of switched access lines, radio access lines, and interconnected voice over internet protocol service lines in an amount up to 70 cents per month for each line. The tax must be uniform for each line. The tax imposed must be deposited in the county 911 Excise Tax Account.
Proceeds collected from either the state or county excise tax must be used by the state or county only for the 911 emergency communications system and its administrative and operational costs.
Distribution.
All moneys that accrue in the county 911 Excise Tax Account must be distributed monthly to the counties in the amount of the taxes collected, minus the administration and collection fee.
A regional 911 emergency communications system is a system operated by a county that is responsible for receiving incoming 911 emergency calls for multiple local government law enforcement and fire response agencies.
A county located east of the crest of the Cascade Mountains with a population between 530,000 and 1.5 million that operates a regional 911 emergency communications system must transfer an equal portion of the revenue it receives from the 911 excise tax to a local government operating a municipal 911 emergency communications system, if it transfers emergency calls to a municipal 911 emergency communications system operator in a city with a population over 50,000.
This amount must be transferred quarterly by the county operating the regional 911 emergency communications system to the local government operating the municipal 911 emergency communications system.
The substitute removes the formula for the distributions and has the regional 911 emergency communications system transferring an equal portion of the revenues to a municipal public safety answering point.
(In support) This is a bill focused on tension between the City of Spokane (City) and the County of Spokane (County). The County dispatch handles the fire services dispatch for the City, but transfers the police dispatch calls to the City's municipal 911 dispatch. Police dispatch calls typically require more time and expertise in handling. Unfortunately, the 911 excise tax revenues go only to the County despite the City handling a large portion of the calls. Apportionment of these tax revenues is only fair. The City's citizens pay the 911 excise tax and should benefit from some of the revenues funding the City's police dispatch services.
Unlike other areas, there is no interlocal agreement between the City and the County to share the revenues. This is not a subsidy. Politics should not get in the way of public safety. It is time for the City to get a share of the revenues.
(Opposed) This bill reflects call transfers not service calls directly into the City. Moreover, the City reaps more in services than it pays in 911 excise tax revenues. The methodology for the apportionment is incorrect as it should be based on population not call volume. Finally, this bill would increase user fees, if passed, to address the unfair transfer of resources to the City.
There have been efforts to negotiate the sharing of revenues; however, this bill seems to undermine the talks. The City benefits from the robust mutual aid agreements between the various public safety agencies in the rest of the county. This legislation does not reflect the coordinated efforts and pooling of public safety resources that have been deployed for major fires and other large scale public safety emergencies.
(In support) Representative Timm Ormsby, prime sponsor; Alex Scott, City Administrator, City of Spokane; Julie O'Berg, Fire Chief, City of Spokane; Jim Tieken, AFSCME Spokane Local 270; and Paul Dillon, Spokane City Councilmember.