GLADSTONE, Mo. — One question on the ballot in Clay County got a quick answer from Connie Phillips.
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Phillips has been on the other end of 911 calls more times than she can remember.
"My late husband had heart failure, and I don't know how many times we had to go to the hospital," Phillips, a voter in Gladstone, said. "He was a strange situation and had 13 heart attacks."
Her vote came from a lived experience.
"You hear the sirens almost right after you call," Phillips said.
The source of those calls coming in are not funding Clay County like they used to. The county said they're short around $850,000.
Proposition A passed Tuesday night, with the majority of residents saying "yes" to a $1 monthly fee on their cellphone bills.
Since 1993, the source of the funding was a $1 fee on landlines.
"In 2022, our dispatch center in Gladstone received a little over 13,000 911 calls. Only 651 came from a landline," said Rob Sanderson, administrative services manager for the Gladstone Police Department.
While some voters believe they should pick up the slack, others say not so much.
"I think they should start with 25 cents and gradually increase it as inflation occurs," said Jamie Phillips, a voter in Gladstone. "To start with $1 is way too much."
"When I'm short on money, I don't have anyone to go to. I have to see where I'm spending and where I'm not. I think our offices can do the same thing," said Vera Schoonover, a voter in Gladstone.
Coming from someone who once counted on 911, the Phillips are alright with it being their turn.
"It's only $12 a year and if you ever have to use it, you'll be glad you do," Phillips said.
Gladstone's 911 center emphasized infrastructure is critical and they want to make sure funding is not an obstacle when a disaster happens or an intense storm.
They've already started condensing 911 centers around the county into one hub in Gladstone. The groundbreaking is expected to happen on Nov. 17.
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