The Peoria County Emergency Telephone System Board is facing some changes to 911 dispatch centers before the end of this year.
The monthly surcharge on phone bills will increase to 87 cents for both wireless and landline phones. The existing surcharge is 80 cents for wireless and 73 cents for land lines. County ETSB chairman David Tuttle says it also plans to add a 911 texting service. Tuttle says that would benefit those who cannot speak or hear.
The changes come after Governor Bruce Rauner signed a bill restructuring the state's 911 calling system. A controversial aspect of the legislation requires counties smaller than 250,000 people with more than two call centers to reduce by 50 percent.
Peoria and Tazewell Counties each have four dispatch centers. Tuttle says that means the counties will be forced to trim down to two centers or submit a waiver. The ETSB board plans to discuss the options at its next monthly meeting on September 2.