Following a series of meetings with the Province and relevant stakeholders, UBCM has provided correspondence to Minister Mike Farnworth re-affirming its support for a 911 call answer levy (CAL) on cellular devices.
UBCM’s support is based in part on an understanding that revenue generated through a CAL would not go to provincial general revenue. Instead, a governance entity would be established to manage revenue distribution. This is generally consistent with past UBCM policy seeking the establishment of an independent body for 911 CAL revenue administration.
Earlier this year, the Province invited UBCM to be part of a steering committee created to examine changes to the provincial 911 system, including the feasibility and support for a 911 CAL on cellular devices. The current system is out of date, needing upgrades to comply with Next Generation 911 requirements; improvements to eliminate service gaps; and resiliency backup sites in case of emergency.
The steering committee spent time over the summer discussing how to best address these issues (e.g. by examining funding, governance and standards), and improve the provincial 911 framework.