Tax proposed to fund 911 call center services in Whiteside County

MORRISON – After a public safety tax failed to pass in 2022, voters will be asked to consider it again in November to fund 911 emergency dispatch call center services in Whiteside County.

Amy Robbins, the county administrator for Whiteside County, said dispatch services cost $1.8 million annually to operate. Outside of radio surcharges, the county and the cities of Sterling and Rock Falls foot the bill. Robbins said there is a deficit of about $500,000 each year.

A 0.5% countywide sales tax is being proposed to pay for dispatch services. That is equivalent to an additional 50 cents for every $100 spent on general merchandise bought in Whiteside County. The tax is estimated to raise $2 million annually and would not apply to groceries or items that must be titled or registered by a state agency, including watercraft, aircraft, trailers, mobile homes, qualifying drugs (including over-the-counter medications and vitamins) and medical appliances.

If passed, the tax would alleviate rising operational costs and help pay employee salaries, benefits and trainings. Dispatchers are required to regularly complete several certifications and training sessions, all of which come at a cost to the county.

In addition to handling incoming emergency calls, 911 dispatch centers also maintain service call logs for fire, medical and law enforcement agencies in their county, act as after-hours call centers for towns and villages, assist with sex offender registration and provide warrant checks for outside law enforcement agencies.

If approved, the tax money can only be used for matters of public safety and any funds left over would be used to buy equipment and radio and software upgrades while allowing for multi-agency interaction. It also would eliminate the money that cities have to pay to cover the services. That means the money Sterling and Rock Falls pays for these services would go back into their general funds.

Over the past year, Sterling paid $392,465 and Rock Falls paid $294,348, totaling $686,813, as part of their agreement to pay for dispatch services.

“If the tax passes, that money could be used for something else,” Whiteside County Sheriff John Booker said. “Dispatching is a service and the county cannot continue to absorb the cost.”

If the tax does not pass, smaller communities in the county, including Morrison, Fulton, Erie, Albany, Lyndon, Tampico, Prophetstown, Coleta, Deer Grove and Fenton, will have to start chipping in to make up the shortfall.

There are two emergency call centers in Whiteside County: the Twin City Communications Center in Sterling and the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Dispatch Center in Morrison. The Sterling location is set to close in September and all its dispatchers will join the team in Morrison.

Lee County pays for its emergency dispatch services largely from general funds, with additional revenue from uniform statewide 911 surcharges and contracts with the cities of Amboy and Dixon to help cover the difference.

Lee County did implement a 0.5% public safety tax in 2017 to help pay for the new Lee County Law Enforcement Center that was completed in 2019. County Administrator Jeremy Englund said the tax has brought in an average of $1 million to $1.5 million annually.

Whiteside County added a 1% sales tax in 2014 that schools can only use to build and maintain buildings or pay off bonds sold for buildings. This summer, Sterling is using that money to complete several projects in its five-year facilities plan including the renovation of Lincoln Elementary, the construction of two prekindergarten centers, a remodeling of Sterling High School’s HVAC system, a new track facility for Challand Middle School and the remodeling and resurfacing of Prescott Memorial Field.