JOLIET – Emergency 911 services for Will County residents may be in jeopardy because of the ongoing politically charged budget standoff in Springfield.
Emergency services statewide are paid for via landline and wireless fees, but the county’s six dispatch centers have not received wireless fee revenue owed to them since mid-August.
Steve Rauter, vice chairman of the county’s Emergency Telephone System Board, said he doesn’t understand why the state is no longer distributing the money to call centers, noting Illinois is supposed to serve only as a pass-through.
Rauner spokeswoman Lyndsey Walters said in an email Tuesday the blame is on state lawmakers who have “refused to pass a balanced budget.”
“The governor has asked for structural reforms to free up resources to balance the budget, help the most vulnerable and to create jobs, which will grow the economy. Unfortunately, the majority party continues to block the governor’s reforms,” Walters said in the email.
Rauter said Will County’s 911 system “will be OK for a few months,” but he is worried about what happens when cash reserves dry up. He’s also concerned about other county emergency service centers downstate, which may be closer to running out of reserves and run the risk of shutting down and laying off staff.
“What do people do? Some of the fallback is ‘Try dialing the 10-digit for the fire station or the police station and hopefully someone will answer your phone,’ ” Rauter said. “They will not be able to do 911.”
Julie Ponce-Doyle, communications director for the Joliet Police Department’s 911 call center, said dispatch centers are pulling from reserves in the interim, and capital money previously earmarked for system upgrades now is being used to pay rent.
St. Clair County filed suit against the state earlier this month, arguing state officials must distribute critical 911 funding even without a budget in place.
“[The state] is only supposed to be a pass-through. The state’s budgetary problem should not impact 911 services,” Ponce-Doyle said. “They can’t say the funding does not exist. Our citizens are paying the [cellphone tax] surcharge.”
Rauter said he is pushing local lawmakers to support House Bill 4305 – an appropriations bill filed Sept. 30 in the Illinois House that allows money to pass through for Illinois lottery winners, the motor fuel tax fund for local governments and 911 call centers in spite of the budget standoff.
“It’s really sad when 911 is so trivialized when we’re being lumped in … with the lottery,” Rauter said.
Ponce-Doyle said she is concerned about what may happen if the budget impasse goes on much longer. She declined to elaborate, saying she “doesn’t want to scare people.”
Steve Figved, administrator of Will County’s 911 system, could not immediately be reached Tuesday for comment.