Emergency Call Surcharge Rise on November's Ballot

After what feels like years of campaigning for this year's election, you probably don't think there's anything on the Nov. 6 ballot that you haven't already heard about.

But a new referendum that could increase the surcharge on your telephone bill has just been announced, according to a release from the Marion Police Department.

The Linn County E-911 Service Board has put a referendum on the ballot intended to increase the surcharge that funds emergency phone answering centers.

The current surcharge amounts to 25 cents per month on residents' land line telephone bill. If the referendum passes, the fee will double to 50 cents.

Marion Police Chief Harry Daugherty said the increase is necessitated due to a decrease in land-line usage among residents and an increase in the cost of providing new emergency services.