[StBernard] St. Bernard Parish voters to determine raising 911 fees

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard Parish voters to determine raising 911 fees

Published: Friday, June 01, 2012, 9:26 AM     Updated: Friday, June 01,
2012, 9:26 AM

 By Ed Anderson, The Times-Picayune 

BATON ROUGE -- Gov. Bobby Jindal has gone along with a proposal to let
voters in St. Bernard Parish raise the fees charged for monthly 911
emergency telephone service. Jindal's office said he signed into law Senate
Bill 630 by Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans, to increase the rates with
voter approval. Jindal aides said he signed the bill into law May 25, to
take effect Aug. 1.

The rates set out in Morrell's bill are equivalent to the flat percentage
assessed monthly on residential and commercial monthly telephone bills. If
the new service charges exceed the monthly fees now assessed -- as they
probably will, according to parish officials -- voters' approval will be
needed.

The service charges specified in the bill cannot exceed $1 per month for
each residential landline, $2.07 per month for each commercial landline and
$1.26 monthly for each cellular "or other wireless telecommunications
service."

Morrell also has a bill pending in the House seeking approval for an
increase in the 911 emergency call service for New Orleans.

Morrell said the St. Bernard charges would only be applicable to cell
telephones assigned to St. Bernard Parish residents. He said if persons with
St. Bernard cell phone numbers live in Shreveport, they would not be billed
for the monthly fee since they do not reside in the parish and could not
benefit from the 911 service.