Cordova council reinstates 911 phone surcharge of $2 a month per line

The Cordova City Council voted Wednesday to reinstate a $2 monthly surcharge on phone lines and wireless numbers within the city's 911 service area, starting with billing periods that begin Jan. 1, 2027.

The money is for an enhanced 911 system. The police chief's memo says 423 of 536 open-line and hang-up 911 calls from June 16, 2023, through Aug. 26, 2026, about 78.9%, lacked a usable incident location.

The council also approved a no-bid Central Square Technologies contract for its Vertex 911 call-handling system, costing up to about $212,000 over five years. Under the memo, an existing $63,734 balance in the city's E911 fund covers the first year, and future surcharge collections cover the rest.

Jeremiah Becker of Cordova Telecom said the company supports the effort but told the council that only local carriers, Cordova Telecom, Cordova Wireless and Copper Valley, can collect the surcharge. He estimated it would apply to about 2,570 lines and raise roughly $62,000 a year at full rate.

Becker said the fee would triple monthly costs for Lifeline customers, low-income customers who pay $1 a month. Council Member Wendy Ranney, who said she is a Cordova Telecom board member, wants them exempted. Dispatch supervisor Brian Wildrick said the surcharge "will absolutely help the sustainability of this project for the long term."

The city suspended an earlier version of the surcharge in 2012 while it awaited an E911 system. Mayor Kristin Smith said a future fee schedule could include exemption categories but cautioned that exemptions need careful wording. The adopted resolution sets a flat $2.