State lawmaker urges voters to carefully consider 911 tax

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A state lawmaker is urging voters to carefully consider proposed tax increases for emergency wireless 911 service.<br/><br/>About 20 counties have scheduled special elections in December

Wednesday, September 28th 2005, 5:47 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A state lawmaker is urging voters to carefully consider proposed tax increases for emergency wireless 911 service.

About 20 counties have scheduled special elections in December to put a proposed phone tax to a vote of the people.

Representative Mike Reynolds says several counties have already submitted the proposed tax to voters, who have rejected it.

Reynolds says the proposed tax is larger than a similar tax approved by voters in 1987 that paid for emergency service on landlines. The landline tax was just 50 cents per year while the proposed phone tax for wireless 911 service is 50 cents per month.

If the measures fail in Oklahoma or Tulsa counties, rural residents could have to fund the statewide system with fewer phones to recoup costs.