Calhoun City Council approved placing a 9-1-1 charge on prepaid wireless telecommunication services at the retail point of sale at their Monday, Dec. 19, meeting.

The approval of this charge is based on Georgia Assembly’s passing of House Bill 256, which provides comprehensive regulation of 9-1-1 charges on prepaid wireless services.

This bill introduced a new term and a new set of rules governing the term and potential charges cities may be able to impose for a prepaid wireless service, according to the Georgia Municipal Association.

“It’s a safety net,” Calhoun City Administrator Eddie Peterson said, adding that the city is “duplicating what the county’s already done.”

The Georgia Department of Revenue will administer the 75-cent fee per prepaid wireless service beginning Jan. 1, 2012, and will be collected in the same manner as sales tax.

Putting the rule in place alongside the county ensures money “goes to our 9-1-1 center,” instead of to the state, Peterson explained.

Prepaid wireless services include any items where a customer can pay in advance to a wireless service provider fore wireless telecommunications. These services include but are not limited to calling or usage privileges based on a set dollar amount, minutes or units of air time, included with the purchase of a cellular phone; recharging a reusable cellular phone with additional minutes or units of air time; cellular phone calling cards that are preloaded with a set dollar amount, minutes, or units of air time and recharging a reusable cellular phone calling card, according to the GDOR.

Cities that operate a 9-1-1 public safety answering point (9-1-1 center), and cities that operate multi-jurisdictional or regional 9-1-1 calling systems must pass an ordinance or resolution imposing a prepaid wireless charge, according to GMA.

The City of Calhoun is not responsible for collecting any prepaid wireless charges.

According to GMA, the person or company who sells the prepaid wireless telecommunications service to another person or company will be responsible for collecting this charge from anyone purchasing the prepaid wireless telecommunications service for each purchase. Then after the charges have been collected it will be sent to the commissioner of the GDOR.

For more information regarding the prepaid wireless charge, contact GMA at 678-686-.6210.