ADOPTED - OCTOBER 14, 2008

Agenda Item No. 23

 

Introduced by the Law Enforcement Committee of the:

 

INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

 

RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO MICHIGAN HOUSE BILL 6070 AMENDING THE EMERGENCY TELEPHONE SERVICES ENABLING ACT

 

RESOLUTION #08-289

 

WHEREAS, the Michigan House of Representatives introduced House Bill 6070, which seeks to amend Public Act 32 of 1986 entitled the “Emergency Telephone Service Enabling Act” by usurping the County Board of Commissioner’s ability to levy a local 9-1-1 operational surcharge by resolution; and

 

WHEREAS, House Bill 6070 mandates that all 9-1-1 operational surcharges be approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission, an appointed, unelected bureaucracy with no accountability to the citizens of Ingham County, rather than the legally elected Board that the residents of Ingham County have entrusted to represent them and do hold accountable; and

 

WHEREAS, House Bill 6070 only allows a county 9-1-1 surcharge to be assessed after approval from the Public Services Commission, followed by a vote of the people of the county, to wit: “A county MAY NOT seek voter approval for a 9-1-1 surcharge unless the proposed 9-1-1 surcharge has been approved by the commission”; and

 

WHEREAS, the Michigan Public Services Commission is a regulatory commission dealing with tariff rates for utilities and has no knowledge of local public safety communications needs; and

 

WHEREAS, the Ingham County Board of Commissioners, demonstrating due diligence in determining local public safety communication needs, has historically funded public safety communications through a fiscally conservative 9-1-1 operational surcharge, without asking permission from an appointed State commission; and

 

WHEREAS, the time lines mandated by House Bill 6070 would, in most counties, necessitate the unnecessary, wasteful expense of a special election in order to obtain voter approval in a timely fashion; and

 

WHEREAS, House Bill 6070 continues to provide benefits to the telecommunication service providers including a 2% “billing and collection” charge plus an undefined “technical surcharge” for which there is no accountability, while impeding the County Board’s ability to fund critical services with inflexible mandatory timelines.

 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners hereby adopts this resolution in opposition to House Bill 6070.

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County Clerk shall send copies of this resolution to Governor Jennifer Granholm, the Ingham County state legislative delegation, the Michigan Sheriffs Association and the Michigan Association of Counties.

 

LAW ENFORCEMENT:  Yeas:  Holman, Copedge, De Leon, Schafer

         Nays:  None            Absent:  Celentino, Tennis   Approved 10/2/08