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Special election to be held for 911 surcharge

ALPENA, Mich. — Alpena County Board of Commissioners approved a special election for May where voters will decide whether to continue paying a surcharge to fund 911 operations.

Alpena residents are currently charged $3 per month for each phone in the household- cell or landline- and it is the primary source of funding for the emergency service. The election would be for a renewal of the surcharge, not an increase in what any resident is currently paying.

The charge usually generates close to $1 million in funding for the county.

“The hope is that the residents of Alpena recognize the importance of the 911 system,” Mark Hall, 911 Director and Emergency Services Coordinator says. “If it doesn’t go through, we would have a dramatic negative effect in public safety.”