(A) The state has enacted into law the Emergency Telephone System Act (the “Act”), being 50 ILCS 750, which enables counties and municipalities to impose a surcharge on telecommunication carriers at a rate per network connection in order to support and maintain a 911 emergency telephone system. The Act allows the telecommunication carrier to recover the surcharge including a 3% collection charge from its subscriber residing within the corporate limits of the county or municipality imposing the surcharge, provided that before the surcharge may be imposed, it must be authorized by a majority of the voters in a referendum by the county or municipality.
(B) Pursuant to the Act, a referendum was placed on the April 4, 1989 ballot asking all legal voters residing in the city to vote upon the following question:
“Shall the City of Lake Forest impose a surcharge of up to 65 cents per month per network connection telecommunication carriers, which surcharge expense (the surcharge plus a statutory accounting charge) will be added to the monthly bill you receive for telephone or telecommunications charges for the purpose of installing (or improving) a 911 emergency telephone system?
yes no”
(C) A majority of the votes approved the referendum question.
(D) The City Council deems it to be in the best interest of the residents of the city to provide an E-911 emergency telephone system and to impose a surcharge on telecommunication carriers to be passed through to its subscribers to pay for the costs associated therewith.
(Ord. 2009-05, passed 1-20-2009)