When members of Bethlehem City Council met on April 21, they expressed concern over whether state funding for the city's 911 center would continue under a bill being considered by the state legislature. The vote did not go as council members hoped.

The state House voted down several amendments supported by Lehigh Valley lawmakers in a bill to update the Public Safety Emergency Telephone Act. The bill calls for increasing surcharges on monthly phone bills to $1.65 to fund 911 centers across the state. Currently surcharges are $1.25 for Lehigh Valley landlines, which has not changed since the 1990s, and $1 for cell phones.

With the increase in rates, the bill also provides a strong incentive for Bethlehem and Allentown, the state's only two city-run 911 dispatch centers remaining, to consolidate with Lehigh and Northampton counties. The bill calls for 911 money to go to counties rather than cities, and directs city-run centers to join a county or regional dispatch center. This presents a dilemma for Bethlehem, since the city straddles both Lehigh and Northampton counties.

State Rep. Peter Schweyer (D-Lehigh) introduced several amendments supported by Republican and Democratic lawmakers from the Lehigh Valley to keep funding for the city call centers and to permit the two cities to merge their 911 operations. Schweyer, a member of the House Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee, where the bill originated, has stated that city/county mergers would hurt rather than help Bethlehem and Allentown.

The amendment to preserve funding for Bethlehem and Allentown's 911 systems failed by a vote of 87-103. Another amendment that would have permitted Bethlehem and Allentown to consolidate their 911 services failed by a vote of 89-100, despite unanimous resolutions passed by city councils in Bethlehem and Allentown "strongly requesting" state legislators to restore language in proposed legislation allowing Bethlehem and Allentown "to receive funding and maintain control of their respective 911 centers."

Council President J. William Reynolds said Bethlehem is not expecting the 911 center to be 100 percent state funded. "We're willing to put forth our fair share to keep the level of service for our unique situation," he said.

Mayor Robert Donchez said he hopes the state Senate will vote differently when it considers its own version of the legislation. Donchez said he spoke to Schweyer twice last week about the legislation and added he hopes state senators Pat Browne and Lisa Boscola can be helpful when the Senate debates the bill.

"I think Senator Browne will be a key player in this because of his role in leadership," Donchez said.