TREAD CAREFULLY. Georgia Republicans, especially those running for statewide office next year, are telling everyone about their plan to get rid of the state income tax. But that doesn’t mean all state taxes would disappear.

Lawmakers are facing growing pressure to increase a fee on phone lines that pays for local 911 emergency systems. The $1.50 fee hasn’t been changed in decades. But local leaders say it’s not enough to cover the costs of their increasingly complex systems.

Roswell Police Chief James Conroy pleaded with lawmakers this week to raise the fee. He said it’s not enough to cover the city’s 911 operations, noting the city must pay $1 million per year to subsidize the system.

“It is clear this fee no longer reflects the realities of a modern emergency response system,” he said during a meeting of the House Study Committee on Funding for Next Generation 911. “Increasing this fee paid for by the users of the system would provide critical support to ensure that 911 remains responsive, reliable and ready for the future.”

Increasing that fee would essentially amount to lawmakers raising cellphone bills for Georgians. That wouldn’t be easy to campaign on in an election year.

State Rep. Chuck Martin, R-Alpharetta, agreed lawmakers need “to look at the funding mechanism.” But he was careful to note that there are “no preconceived notions” on how they will do that.

The state Legislature has encouraged counties to upgrade their 911 systems to better handle calls from cellphones and other internet connected devices. The amended 2025 budget signed by Gov. Brian Kemp this year includes $5.7 million to help.