Jackson Jambalaya

WLBT reported the State Auditor tried to get the legislature to change the law allowing Mississippi counties to borrow against their E-911 funds until they actually provided E-911 service. Hinds County has recently come under media scrutiny for using millions of dollars in E-911 funds every year for payroll and other expenses even though the county does not have E-911 service. JJ obtained several exhibits that present a better idea of what the Auditor tried to accomplish and how many counties actually have E-911 service (or called "phase-II compliant).

There is a map of the state classifying each county according to what level of 911 service offered on the second page of the exhibit. 40 counties currently provide E-911 service. All but one county surrounding Hinds are Phase-II compliant. Eleven counties do not even offer 911 service. The sad truth is Hinds is the only "urban" part of the state lacking E-911 service. Forest, Lamar, Lee, Lauderdale, Warren, Madison, Rankin, Simpson, Harrison, Hancock, even Adams.... they all offer the service. To add insult to injury, most of the Delta counties offer it as well.

The Auditor makes his case for changing the E-911 laws on the first page of the exhibit. Mr. Pickering's office supported SB #3004 in 2009 that would have banned counties from spending or loaning E-911 funds until phase-II compliant. All counties were supposed to be phase-II compliant by 2005. The state loses several million dollars every year in federal money because it has not complied with federal law. Unfortunately for Mr. Pickering and Mississippians in thirty-eight counties, the bill died in committee. Sources inform JJ the supervisors, both Republicans and Democrats, resisted any changes to the current law that allows them to raid, oops, I meant borrow E-911 funds regardless of whether their counties offered the service.

Several lobbyists even informed JJ the supervisors lobbied the legislature last year and this year to give them access to the E-911 funds held by the CMRS board. The CMRS board collects the E-911 tax on your phone bill and distributes it to the counties. It designates some funds for projects but does not distribute them until the county is phase-II compliant. The supes discovered these funds existed and have tried to get their greedy little hands on them in the last two legislative sessions but failed to do so. Needless to say, its a safe bet the supervisors' interest in those funds were not to provide E-911 services. A 2009 FCC report to Congress states Mississippi collected nearly $12 million in 911/E-911 fees in 2008. Although the states are required to provide the information to the FCC, Mississippi and Louisiana were the only states that did not do so this year. It is unfortunate Mississippians suffer because too many of their leaders see E-911 funds as another cash cow instead of a means to fund a much-needed service. Casino money, tobacco settlement money, rainy day funds, E-911 funds. Lets spend it all right now and damn the consequences.