BUTLER (AP) – Butler County in western Pennsylvania has filed a $10.9 million lawsuit against 15 telephone service providers for not billing and collecting 911 assessment charges.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, seeks to recoup six years of funds that weren’t collected for the 911 system.
Commissioner Kim Geyer says Butler County and its taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to subsidize this gap. Geyer called the situation a tax burden on the county’s residents and specifically mentioned the impact it has on senior citizens and low-income residents.
The county spent $3.1 million in its 911 system in 2014. Of that amount, only $1.7 million came from 911 fees assessed by telephone service providers.
Philadelphia law firm Dilworth Paxon is representing Butler County and plans to file similar suits on behalf of other Pennsylvania counties.