• Photo Credit: 911. ingham.org

INGHAM COUNTY - Ingham County is looking to renew funding for a countywide 911 emergency telephone and dispatch system, which has been in effect in 1988.

The renewed 911 emergency millage has been approved by voters in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. The millage will be before residents once again on the Primary Election ballot.

If this millage is approved on August 4th, this millage will raise an estimated $5,803,020 for the countywide 911 Emergency Telephone and Dispatch System in the first calendar year of the levy based on taxable value.

11th District Ingham County Commissioner Emily Stivers tells HOMTV, "We haven't changed anything in it from the previous version. It is a renewal of a millage that has been in existence since 1988. It is a small millage and it provides the funding that we need to provide our 911 services in Ingham County, which of course are life saving and critical for a lot of Ingham County residents. So it is a really important one and I am hoping voters will have no trouble marking yes on their ballot to renew it."

When asked if a renewed millage plan would increase or decrease taxes in Ingham County, Commissioner Stivers explains, "Neither, it is a renewal at the exact same rate. Taxes will stay the same with the renewal."

Stivers also went on to say, "We've had a number of public meetings, not specifically on this issue, but this issue was discussed at our county services meetings, Ingham County Board of Commissioners, human services and full Bard of Commissioners. These discussions took place last summer where we voted unanimously to put this before voters as a millage renewal. All of these meetings were public."

Commissioner Stivers continued by explaining, "The millage is .85 mills, which is 85 cents per $1,000 dollars of taxable value, so it is about $85 a year for a home value of $200,000, so it really is a small millage in the larger scheme of things. If approved and levied in full, the millage would raise about $6.5 million in the first year. We have been raising that much for the service annually."

When asked about where the money would go from this millage renewal, Stivers said, "It will go absolutely, exclusively to fund our 911 services in Ingham County. It won't go for any other purpose, it cannot be repurposed for anything else. It will only go towards our comprehensive countywide 911 emergency telephone and dispatch system. I think it has been effective."