by Maya Homan, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission]
October 21, 2026
Georgia is currently in the midst of transforming its 911 system to incorporate new technology in a world where most calls to emergency services are made from cell phones rather than landlines.
But how quickly the state finishes that upgrade may depend on the outcome of one of this year’s three ballot questions. A proposed constitutional amendment would create a designated fund where lawmakers can earmark state money to modernize and standardize Georgia’s 911 system statewide.
Notably, the measure would not actually allocate any state or local money to the fund. State Rep. Chuck Martin, an Alpharetta Republican who sponsored the resolution creating the ballot question, said that if the constitutional amendment is approved by voters, state lawmakers will need to pass enabling legislation next year to determine how funds will be allocated across the state.
“The idea is that this is the first step toward creating an infrastructure where we can create a sustainable funding mechanism, so that Georgia has a ubiquitous, first-class 911 system moving forward,” he said.
As part of the process, lawmakers will need to pass legislation to change the existing local 911 fee to a state one. Martin said the question of how those state funds will be allocated to municipalities will be determined with input from city and county governments, as well as 911 directors. Without that enabling legislation, Martin said, the fund will still exist, but it will sit empty.
“If we can’t come to a conclusion that our cities and counties agree with, that our [911] directors agree with that would be the best way to move forward, we will have a fund that money won’t be deposited in it, money won’t be distributed from,” he said.
But Martin added that smaller counties in particular would greatly benefit from an increase in funds and more modern technology to address emergencies.
‘The same level of service in any county you go to’
According to the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority, more than 80% of 911 calls are made from wireless devices, such as cell phones. However, the technology used throughout the state’s emergency infrastructure has not changed much since the system was first established in 1968, when most calls were placed on landlines.
State lawmakers are currently hoping to implement a network called Next Generation 911, which would allow first responders to more precisely identify a caller’s location and allow the public to send photos, videos and text messages to 911 centers in addition to placing calls.
Thomas Cisco, the Forsyth County emergency management director and president of the Georgia 911 Directors Association, said that some counties in Georgia are already using the updated technology, but many counties still rely on the older technology.
“Right now, we have 156 different public safety entry points that have all different varieties and varying degrees of technology when it comes to answering telephone calls and dispatching,” Cisco said. Under a Next Generation 911 system, he added, “you’ll get the same level of service in any county you go to, from the smallest county to the largest county.”
Only 17 of Georgia’s 159 counties are currently Next Generation 911-compliant, according to Clint Mueller, the deputy director of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia.
Georgians currently pay a $1.50 monthly fee on their cell phone bills that is intended to go toward funding their local 911 systems. But Cisco said that storing the money in a designated fund would allow any unused funds to roll over to the next fiscal year and prevent lawmakers from diverting the money elsewhere.
But could the money be diverted to non-911 purposes?
The resolution creating the ballot question passed through both chambers of the Legislature early this year with unanimous support and appeared to be relatively uncontroversial. But earlier this month, a grassroots organization called Galvanize Georgia voiced opposition to the measure, warning that the funds could be used to purchase automated license plate readers like Flock cameras, which have come under fire after numerous instances of misuse by law enforcement officials.
A spokesperson for the state House Speaker said the funds would not be used for automatic license plate readers, citing state law that defines the specific technology used in Georgia’s 911 system.
“The proposed constitutional amendment is clear that this funding is only for upgrades to 911 systems, which do not include Flock cameras,” said Kayla Green, a spokesperson for House Speaker Jon Burns of Newington. “These funds may only be used to upgrade emergency communication systems that strengthen direct communication between Georgians and first responders.”
Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com.