Harris County 911 agency seeks funding fix as costs rise

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- The agency that oversees Harris County's 911 network said its cash balance could be cut in half over the next five years, pointing to a funding source that has not kept pace with rising costs.

During a public safety committee meeting with City Council this week, the Greater Harris County 9-1-1 Emergency Network said it expects its cash balance to drop from $60 million to $30 million by 2030.

The agency said its primary source of funding is a 50-cent fee on monthly cell phone bills. That fee has not increased since 1997, even though operating costs like employee salaries and health insurance have gone up.

Russell Rau, chairman of the board of the Greater Harris County 9-1-1 Emergency Network, said the situation is not sustainable.

"It's hard, hard to expect us to continue to deliver a high level of service to our community with a fee that's been locked in at the same level for the past 30 years," Rau said.

The agency said it has raised the issue with the state legislature during the past three sessions, asking for a more sustainable funding source, but nothing has changed.

"At some point, you know, we will have to do the unthinkable, and that's to sit down and discuss how we're going to curb our service level," Rau said. "And we don't want to get there."

The agency told ABC13 it plans to take its concerns to the state legislature again next year.

"What we fear as well is that we just wouldn't have the dollars to maintain our level of technology," he said. "We wouldn't be able to have the capital money to make investments in future 911 enhancements."