The board of directors for the Houston Rural Fire Association has endorsed a 911 measure that will appear Tuesday on the ballot.
The issue would solve a major funding issue by changing the financing method for the 911 emergency telephone system. In the early 1990s, voters approved a 15-percent surtax on landline phone bills to fund it. Since that time, the number of landlines in use has declined in favor of cellular telephones. Additionally, partner Wright County no longer plans to participate.
The issue on the ballot would impose a countywide three-eighths of one percent tax on retail sales. The landline fee would be dropped. “The board of directors encourages all members of our association and all voters of Texas County to go to their polling locations and approve this proposal,” according to a statement. “When there is a need for fire department services, emergency ambulance services or law enforcement services, a timely response is needed. If additional agencies are needed at the scene of an emergency, a good communication network is a must.”