Emergency Management Director Warns Supervisors Looming 911 Funding Shortfall Could Hit Crisis Levels

The fire, the vote, the triumph — when it happens, Decorah News shows up. Support us being there. DECORAH — Winneshiek County's emergency management director told supervisors the county's 911 system is facing a funding problem that could exhaust its reserves within four years. During the meeting, Emergency Management Director Sean Snyder said the upcoming budget includes "about $546,000 and change in total expenses versus the revenue of about $351,302," leaving "$195,000 in the hole… pulling that obviously from the carry over balance." He said the projected carryover will be "about $652,000," which he called "not a lot of money" for a system that "takes hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep it running." Snyder said the deficit includes an additional "big expense" in the form of a required radio upgrade, "about $70,000," that must be done every five years. Even without that cost, he said the system is still short "$100,000 to $120,000 every year that I'm dipping into the surcharge carryover." He warned that if nothing changes with Iowa's surcharge matrix structure, "[in] four years-ish I'm coming back to you guys crying and trying to figure out how we're gonna keep it afloat." Snyder said attempts last year to raise the phone surcharge were rejected by legislators, who viewed it as "a new tax on people." This year, he said, groups are seeking a "percentage increase, kind of like a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) kind of thing," but added, "I just don't know how well it's gonna be received." He also noted landline surcharge revenue "keeps decreasing every year," and wireless surcharge money is distributed through a state pool, leaving the county with "60 cents roughly of that dollar." Snyder said he has discussed potential long-term solutions with County Auditor Ben Steines, but added that he would keep the supervisors "in the loop". Supervisor Shirley Vermace stated that she appreciated Snyder's long-term planning, Snyder replied, "Long-term may be four years, but we're trying." Stay informed, stay inspired! Newsletter sign up is free and join hundreds of free subscribers who rely on DecorahNews.com for trusted information and fresh perspectives.