Moore County to lose $90K for 911 after Lee veto

Governor rejects 36-cent monthly increase in 911 surcharge, says state should wait for a study before raising rate

6:55 p.m. May 4, 2026

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

Moore County’s 911 system will miss out on roughly $90,000 after Gov. Bill Lee vetoed a measure that would have increased Tennessee’s monthly 911 surcharge, Metro Moore County Public Safety Director Jason Deal said.

Deal said the rejected increase would have meant about $90,000 locally – money that would have gone to the emergency communications system that answers 911 calls and dispatches police, fire, and medical help.

The measure, Senate Joint Resolution 48, would have raised the state 911 surcharge from $1.50 to $1.86 per month. That is a 36-cent monthly increase, or $4.32 per year per phone line.

Lee vetoed the resolution on May 1, calling it “a tax increase on nearly all Tennesseans.” In his veto letter, the governor said first responders and 911 dispatchers play a vital role, but he argued the increase was not warranted because of “substantial reserves” in the Tennessee Emergency Communications Fund.

Lee also pointed to a pending Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations study of the state’s emergency communications system and said Tennessee should wait for those results before increasing the surcharge.

Some 911 officials are pushing back.

In a statement issued after the veto, the Hamblen County Emergency Communications District argued the 911 surcharge is not a general tax because the money is legally restricted to one purpose: improving the 911 system. The district said the 36-cent increase would help centers keep up with technology, replace outdated systems, maintain 24-hour operations, and recruit, train, and retain dispatchers.

That distinction matters in places like Moore County.

A few cents per phone line may not sound like much to an individual customer. But spread across a county, the money helps support the system residents depend on when something goes wrong – when a house catches fire, a wreck happens on a back road, a child goes missing, or someone needs an ambulance.

The Hamblen County statement also challenged the governor’s reference to reserves. The district said state reserves are used for statewide 911 networking and infrastructure upgrades, including Next Generation 911 services. Local 911 reserves, it said, are often set aside for capital projects such as new construction, radio upgrades, and software purchases – costs that can run into the millions and are separate from day-to-day operating needs.

The practical concern is where the cost goes next.

According to the Hamblen County statement, vetoing the surcharge increase shifts the burden to local jurisdictions. In other words, if dedicated 911 revenue does not increase at the state level, counties and cities may have to find another way to pay for the same needs.

For Moore County, that means the loss is not abstract. It is a roughly $90,000 hole in projected 911 revenue. Deal noted during Monday night's Emergency Communications Board meeting that the $90,000 was not included in the 2026-27 proposed budget.