County leaders from across Pennsylvania say a quarter a month could be the difference between fully staffed 911 call centers and longer waits when you dial for help. Last week they urged state officials to bump the monthly 911 surcharge from $1.95 to $2.20, arguing that the small per-line hike would help stabilize local dispatch centers and pay for long-planned NextGen upgrades. Without that extra revenue, they warn, smaller and rural counties could be forced to trim staffing or shelve long-term improvements to emergency communications. The pitch landed at a press conference that also revived calls for a longer-range funding plan in Harrisburg.
What Counties Are Asking For
Speaking at a press conference last Monday at York County’s 911 Center, the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania called for the surcharge to rise to $2.20, according to CCAP. Association leaders cast the proposal as a modest adjustment that would help counties keep up with fast-changing technology and rising personnel costs at county-run dispatch centers, rather than as a sweeping tax hike.
How 911 Is Funded Now
The uniform 911 surcharge is currently set at $1.95 per phone line. The Shapiro administration and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency note that the fee was previously $1.65 and was raised and reauthorized through Jan. 31, 2029, according to PEMA. PEMA’s breakdown shows that most of the $1.95, about $1.62, flows directly to Pennsylvania’s 61 public safety answering points (PSAPs), while roughly $0.29 supports NG911 upgrades, consolidation efforts and interconnectivity projects. Those investments are aimed at sharpening location accuracy, expanding text-to-911, and building redundant systems so calls keep going through when something fails.
Counties' Case: Shortfalls and Staffing
County officials say that even after the last increase, the money does not stretch far enough. A CCAP fact sheet pegs 2024 surcharge revenues at about $375 million, compared with an annual need they estimate at roughly $455 million, leaving an $80 million gap. The group warns that if new revenue does not materialize, smaller counties in particular could face service cuts or might have to lean harder on property taxpayers. "Every day, Pennsylvanians rely on 911 to be there in their most critical moments," CCAP Executive Director Dr. Kyle Kopko said, according to CCAP.
Where This Could Land In Harrisburg
County leaders say they intend to press their case with both the governor’s office and the General Assembly, pitching the 25 cent bump as a targeted fix. Local reporting has followed the York County event and the broader push. As reported by WPXI, counties are signaling cautious optimism about talks with the Shapiro administration and lawmakers, although the request will have to compete with other budget priorities in the months ahead.
For most households, the proposed jump is small, 25 cents a month per line, or roughly $3 a year. County officials argue that across millions of lines, that change would quickly add up and could head off deeper local cuts. The issue has been on counties’ wish list since at least January, when commissioners first carried the request to the State Capitol, according to earlier coverage by WESA.
