By Jennifer Squires
Santa Cruz Sentinel

SANTA CRUZ Calif. — A day after voters across the county said they're not willing to pay a tax on phone lines to fund 911 service, the emergency workers who respond when someone calls 911 were left searching for answers: Why didn't voters support them and how will they cover costs now?

Voters in the incorporated area of the county and Watsonville both rejected 911 taxes -- measures B and C, respectively. In August, voters in Santa Cruz shot down a similar tax, Measure T.

"It's a shocker," Sheriff-Coroner Steve Robbins said. "I mean, none of the taxes passed in the county. The voters voted on some expensive propositions on the state level. I don't understand the disconnect."

The 911 taxes were intended to replace a 911 fee, which had been tagged onto phone bills but was ruled unconstitutional. The monies pay for the operation of the county's consolidated emergency communications center, providing dispatch services to most of the county's police and fire agencies, as well as paramedics.

In Watsonville, the 911 fee brought in about $417,000 and Measure C would have upped that revenue to about $800,000. The city's share of emergency communications center cost is about $1.2 million annually.

"There seems to be a misconception, at least in Watsonville, that somehow we have all of this extra fat and we're big government and it doesn't make any difference," Chief Terry Medina of Watsonville police said. "It's a myth that the money's being wasted or that they'll always find money."

The city of Santa Cruz and the county are also strapped for cash. After Measure T failed in the summer, city leaders discussed cuts to police and parks, though no decisions have been made.

"We haven't really sat down and put together a plan for this yet," Santa Cruz Deputy Police Chief Kevin Vogel said.

The emergency communications funding issue is compounded by a federal mandate that radio systems be upgraded to a narrow-banded program by 2013. Costs of the project in the county have not been determined, but early estimates range from $10 million - $50 million.

"It's a real dilemma for us, not just for the daily operations for now, again for this whole future expansion we have to do, we're mandated to do," Robbins said. "Boy, it's going to be tough for us."

Scotty Douglas, the interim general manager at the communications center, said his heart dropped when he checked the election results online late Tuesday.

"It's kind of like, where do we go from here?" he said.

Robbins said people expect two things when they call 911: someone to answer the phone and someone to show up. The biggest concern officials voiced Wednesday was a potential drop in emergency services, such as longer hold times.

"I could visualize people dialing 911 and a machine saying 'Your call will be answered in the order it was received,'" Medina said.

No cuts or changes to 911 service have been announced.

"I just hope there's no degradation of the system," Robbins said. "It's just an excellent system now."

Copyright 2008 San Jose Mercury News