Each cellular phone you have will cost you an additional dollar a month, starting in about six months.

County commissioners have unanimously approved the new tax to help pay for enhancements to the county's emergency dispatch system.

Under a state law allowing counties to charge the tax, 30 percent of the estimated $213,000 a year that will be collected must be used for new technology that will enable county dispatchers to tell where emergency 911 cell phone calls are coming from.

The county's Enhanced 911 system already provides the address of any call coming in from a hard-wired phone.

But according to Commissioner Herb Frady, 25 percent of 911 calls nationwide are from cell phones, and 25 percent of callers don't know where they are.

"It's very comforting to me to know that I can punch in those numbers and someone on the other end will know where I am," said Commissioner Linda Wells during discussion of the proposed charge last week.

Resident Jean Studdard, addressing commissioners during a public hearing on the matter, wasn't convinced. "It's just a constant thing," she said. "Everytime we turn around another charge is added to this bill or that bill.

"I've never called 911 one time," she added.

Studdard wanted to know if the extra dollar will be dropped from bills once the new equipment is paid for, but county officials said new technology is being developed constantly, and the dispatch center needs to keep up.

The remaining 70 cents of each dollar can be used for ordinary operating expenses of the 911 center. State law does not allow the money to be transferred to the county's general fund.

Resident Richard Adkins also berated commissioners during the public hearing. "There's a point where you reach overkill," he said, pointing out that the county already charges $1.50 a month for each hard-wired phone line to fund the 911 center, increased recently from the previous 50 cents.

"It's like we're saying we've found a source for the money, now let's find a place to spend it," he said.

Commissioner Frady said there's a definite need for the additional operating money. Ever since Fayette County took over operation of emergency dispatch services for local cities, using the $1.50 a month charge, revenues from the phone tax have fallen short of dispatch expenses, he said.