Union County resident appointed to 9-1-1 board

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Jana Fear of Dongola, Ill., of has been appointed to the 9-1-1 Services Advisory Board.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn filed the paperwork for the appointment Oct. 18, according to a news release from the county.

The 9-1-1 services board is an 11-member panel selected by the governor to work with the Illinois Commerce Commission to make recommendations to the General Assembly on long-term funding and planning for 9-1-1 emergency services. Fear, coordinator of Union County 9-1-1, was appointed to represent counties with populations less than 50,000, the release said.

Most direct funding for 9-1-1 services comes from taxes on landline telephones. But over the last decade, more households have moved to wireless phones, which are taxed at a lower rate, resulting in decreased revenue. Larger counties have absorbed the costs, but the release said 9-1-1 departments in smaller counties such as Union are being stretched thin.