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News Photo by Julie Riddle
Alpena County Emergency Services Coordinator Mark Hall walks through the Emergency Operations Center at the Alpena County Central Dispatch building in March.
ALPENA — Residents in Alpena County rely on 911 and its dispatchers to facilitate emergency operations and response.
On May 4, voters in the county will decide whether or not to renew a surcharge on telephones for the next five years during a special election.
The surcharge can not go over $3 and is automatically included on people’s phone bills.
The proceeds are used to pay for 911 operations. It is expected the surcharge will continue to bring in between $900,000 to $1 million a year.