County moves forward with creating 911 district

The Flathead County commissioners moved forward last week on a special countywide tax district that would raise $1.9 million a year for the consolidated 911 dispatch center.

Their vote followed a mixed bag of public comments that both praised the proposed system for being fair and equitable for homeowners and criticized it for being less equal for businesses.

Approval by Commissioners Gary Krueger and Phil Mitchell on Wednesday means that taxpayers will soon receive letters in the mail notifying them of their tax rates under the new plan. Commissioner Pam Holmquist was absent.

Taxpayers have until Dec. 28 to officially protest the measure.

If taxpayers protest between 10 and 50 percent of the $1.9 million value of the new district, then the issue will be put to a public vote. If more than 50 percent of the new district is protested, then the issue cannot be brought up again for a year.

County voters narrowly defeated a similar 911 funding proposal in 2014.

Chuck Curry, Flathead County sheriff and chairman of the Flathead 911 Emergency Communications Board, said the special district is essential.

“Currently, the center is able to make payroll and pay the bills,” Curry said, noting that there is little left in the budget for computer upgrades or other needed technology improvements.

The county and its three cities agreed to consolidate 911 services into one center in 2008. A $6.9 million bond measure included $800,000 earmarked for capital improvements, but the end of that bond issue is near, and while a five-year plan for capital improvement for the center exists, a funding mechanism to make it a reality does not.

A committee has been working on the details of a proposed funding mechanism since 2010, according to Whitefish City Manager Chuck Stearns, who served on the committee.

Stearns said several options were explored and the proposed system was found to be the most equitable. He pointed out that under the current system, the county and individual cities both levy taxes to help fund the center, essentially meaning people in cities are double-taxed.

“Currently, in 2014, if you are a resident of Columbia Falls, you pay 22 mills for the 911 center,” Stearns said. “If you live across the street in the county, you pay six mills. We think that is inequitable.”

The new system would charge a flat $25 annual fee per residence for 911 fees. The charge for businesses would range from $50 to $1,000 based on a tiered ranking system created by Curry and other law enforcement officials who looked at historical emergency service use per business type. Curry and the commissioners said that a lot of time went into making the ranking system fair and, while it might not be perfect, it is a starting point.

Some citizens and business owners disagreed.

Alford Wilson of Kalispell suggested considering a city gas tax, casino levy or jail bunking fee to help cover the cost of 911 dispatch. He said he lived in a Colorado county where a jail charged the inmates a bunking fee to pay for emergency services.

“They literally made crime pay for the system,” Wilson said.

Kalispell business owner Tim Price said that he is concerned that the equal playing field created for residences by the system has not carried over to the business side.

“I have a hard time seeing where it is equitable when you have one business paying $50 and another business paying $1,000,” Price said.

Former County Commissioner Joe Brenneman also was critical of the plan, saying that there was grant funding available earlier in the 911 center’s life that should have been utilized.

“The need for this in some ways is a colossal failure of the Flathead County Commission,” Brenneman said.

Turner Askew of Whitefish worked on the 911 Administrative Board Committee and admitted that there may have been mistakes made in not seizing grant money, but he said finding a future funding method is essential.

“We have developed one of the finest 911 centers in this part of the world and now the question is, how do we fund it?” Askew said.

Flathead County 911 Director Elizabeth Brooks said her office always plans to answer calls that come in, but a major part of future response efficiency hinges on finding a funding mechanism for the center.

Notices are expected to be mailed out in the next couple of days showing each taxpayer’s proposed rate under the plan.

“Everyone will be notified very soon,” County Administrator Mike Pence said.

The commissioners are on a timetable that will require them to vote again on the issue between Dec. 28 and Dec. 31 if they want to include the special district on next year’s tax bills.