Warren County Director of EMA & Public Safety Ken McCorrison opened the meeting welcoming guests before turning the floor over to Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Jeff Boyle.

Boyle outlined how 911 funding in the state was garnered through a surcharge on wireless telephone and prepaid telecommunications. He noted 911 service is “locally driven” at the state and county level with “little federal support.” The bulk of that funding comes through the E-911 surcharge.

“How every state runs their 911 system varies from state to state,” Boyles said. “If every state reported (costs) the way we do, I guarantee their costs would be higher than us.”

He said the surcharge brings in approximately $316 million per year, a number that has remained largely static since it was last raised nearly a decade ago. However, costs have risen approximately 4.5 percent annually bringing system costs to more than $400 million statewide today. The gap in funding is shouldered at the county level through property taxes.

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Jeff Boyle speaks to those in attendance at a meeting on increasing the E-911 surcharge Friday afternoon at the Warren County 911 Center.

Following Boyle, representatives from 911 services in Clarion, Jefferson, Clearfield, Erie, McKean and Warren counties provided presentations on where their respective systems stood fiscally and why they feel more funding is needed.

They cited a need to update aging and deteriorating equipment, struggles with recruiting and retaining personnel, increased training requirements, decreasing property tax revenues as populations decline in rural counties and the transition to a more technology-based society as drivers behind cost increases.

“There are things that desperately need to be replaced and you don’t see the cost of that because we haven’t replaced it yet,” McCorrison said. “Those are the costs that keep me up at night.”

Following the presentations, a roundtable discussion between county emergency service and elected officials and state-level elected officials was held. Discussion largely focused on what proposals were being considered.

Gov. Josh Shapiro has proposed an increase from $1.65 to $1.97 with an annual increase to adjust for inflation, a figure that passed the state House but stalled in the Senate; while the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania has proposed an increase to $2.30 accompanied by an annual increase and a revised funding distribution formula.

State Rep. Martin Causer questioned what percentage of 911 service costs proposed increases would cover.

“To us, as representatives, that’s important. How much of a percentage would we be covering,” he said, noting later in the meeting his question was to prevent a temporary “band-aid” figure that would need to increase again in a few years.

Warren County Commissioner Triscia Durbin said the increase proposed by CCAP would fund all but approximately 13 percent of costs.

“If you asked the average constituent … under a dollar, that’s not even a cup of coffee,” Durbin said during a short break in the meeting.

After asking a number of questions clarifying positions, state Sen. Scott Hutchinson, along with Causer, expressed support for some sort of increase.

“I’m all in… This is not a political take,” he said. “Republican or Democrat, someone needs to land a plan.”

Hutchinson said he believes support for an increase is widespread among state lawmakers.

In addition to Causer and Hutchison, state Reps.Kathy Rapp, Brian Smith, Judy Baker and Mike Armanini attended the meeting.

The Northern Tier Regional 911 system includes Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, McKean and Warren Counties.