Frequently Asked Questions

If this levy does not pass, the Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District faces a funding crisis. This levy makes up 53% of the operating budget. Without it, the District cannot maintain current staffing levels or keep the radio system operational.

This is the same system that every police officer, firefighter, and paramedic in the county depends on to communicate during emergencies. Without funding:

• 9-1-1 calls will go unanswered for much longer.

• Radio and other systems will continue to break down and ultimately fail.

• Reserve funds will be depleted, leading to the dissolution of the consolidated district services.

• Taxpayers will eventually pay more when the system falls out of local control.

There is no backup provider. There is no Plan B. Every second counts in an emergency, and this levy is what keeps those seconds from turning into minutes.

This levy funds the emergency communications system people rely on during emergencies. It supports 9-1-1 call answering, dispatch services, radio communications, and the systems that connect police, fire, and medical responders across the county.

The previous funding expired, but 9-1-1 services must continue every day, around the clock. Without stable funding in place, it becomes harder to keep enough staff and maintain the systems needed to respond quickly. The longer funding remains uncertain, the greater the risk to reliable emergency response.

Columbia 9-1-1 answers emergency and non-emergency calls and dispatches police, fire, and medical responders 24 hours a day. Last year, the District handled more than 85,700 total calls, including 20,088 emergency 9-1-1 calls. Ninety-seven percent of calls were answered in under 10 seconds.

The levy rate is $0.29 per $1,000 of assessed property value. For a home assessed at $300,000, the cost is about $87 per year—that’s $7.25 a month, less than a single streaming subscription.

The levy would last for five years. It is not permanent and must be reviewed by voters again in the future.

Levy funds are overseen by the elected governing board of the Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District, with input from an advisory committee made up of local police and fire chiefs. The board reviews and approves budgets, monitors spending, and ensures funds are used only for essential emergency communications.

The board is known for having diverse views about the best ways to spend taxpayer money to protect Columbia County, ensuring Levy funds will be spent wisely and thoughtfully.

The proposed rate matches the rate used for many years before the previous levy expired. Voters approved this same rate in 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2018. It was set to provide the funding needed while keeping costs as low as possible for property owners. The District is not asking for more—it’s asking to restore what voters previously authorized.

Technically, this is a new local option levy because the previous one expired in 2024. However, it is at the exact same rate voters have approved four times before: $0.29 per $1,000 of assessed value. The District is simply asking voters to continue funding emergency communications at the same level.

Reserves are limited and were never designed to cover daily operations. The District already used some reserves to keep services running after the levy expired. That approach has a shelf life—once reserves run out, there’s nothing left and the consolidated district dissolves. The Equipment Reserve Fund needs to be rebuilt, not drained, because when major systems like the radio network need replacement, that’s where the money comes from.

Before consolidation, Columbia County had multiple small dispatch centers operating independently. First responders had difficulty or could not even communicate with each other when responding to the same incident. This exposed first responders to greater personal risks and hampered effective coordination to save lives.

Voters chose to consolidate into a single countywide district to improve coordination, eliminate duplication, and ensure consistent emergency response everywhere in the county. Consolidation means one professional center handles all calls—rather than each agency trying to maintain its own dispatch operation with fewer resources.

Staffing shortages and burnout are real challenges. Dispatchers work long hours under intense pressure. When positions sit vacant, the remaining staff absorb the workload. But you can’t fix staffing shortages by cutting the budget. Funding uncertainty makes it nearly impossible to recruit and retain qualified people. This levy provides the stability needed to maintain adequate staffing and rebuild the workforce.

If the levy passes, the District can maintain 24/7 staffing, keep the radio communications system operational, begin rebuilding the Equipment Reserve Fund, and plan for the future rather than react to crises. It means stable, reliable 9-1-1 service for every resident in Columbia County for the next five years.

We hear that concern, and that’s exactly why the District brought in new leadership. Jeremy Hipes was hired specifically because of his experience reforming operations and increasing transparency. The finances are audited annually.

The advisory committee of police and fire chiefs provides additional oversight and direction to the board. The board itself has members with diverse views about spending, which ensures healthy debate and accountability. Oversight also include the budget committee, which consists of the board directors and appointed citizens.

Voting No doesn’t fix past problems—it just creates new ones by defunding the system.

Columbia 911 is the starting point for every police, fire, and medical response as well as the ongoing coordination of the response. When 9-1-1 systems are under strain, the entire emergency response chain is affected. Every police officer, firefighter, and paramedic in Columbia County depends on this system to receive calls for help as well as to request any additional support.