VALPARAISO | The Porter County Council will be asked next month to consider increasing a telephone surcharge to cover the cost of taking over Portage's 911 call center.

The council only has control to increase the surcharge on land lines, currently set at $1.50 per month, County 911 Director David Sheibels said.

The surcharge can be raised to a maximum of $2.50 per month, he said.

The 50-cent-per-month surcharge on cell phones is regulated exclusively by the state, Sheibels said.

The county began funding its 911 center with telephone surcharge proceeds in 2003 as a result of the financial hardship caused when the former Bethlehem Steel company filed for bankruptcy, he said.

Since that time, the county's 911 center took over dispatching for Valparaiso and hired five of its dispatchers, Sheibels said.

Another eight dispatchers are being hired as a result of the consolidation with Portage, he said. That process should be completed by the year's end.

Sheibels said he has been covering the additional costs this year by borrowing from a fund designated for new telephone equipment.

It was Porter County Commissioner Bob Harper's suggestion Tuesday evening that he and Sheibels appear before the County Council in January to discuss a more long-term plan to fund the expanded staff.

When asked by Commissioner John Evans whether Valparaiso helped pay for the transition of its dispatchers, Sheibels said the city and Portage agreed to contribute toward the cost of the necessary equipment modifications.

The Portage City Council agreed last month to temporarily cover the cost of health insurance for the eight dispatchers until they are picked up by the county plan.