Clay County voters took to the polls and passed a new 911 funding mechanism that allows the county to implement a $1 monthly fee on any wireless device able to call 911. The fee, designed to cover the existing cost of the 911 emergency system, was approved with 8,833 yes votes totaling 60.9% of the populace, versus 5,671 or 39.1% opposing the new fee. Currently, the county raises funding for the 911 operating system with a tax on landline phones, implemented in 1993. Since the use of landlines in the county has declined, the decision was made to pull funds from other sources. According to a press release earlier this year, in September the county had paid more than $1.1 million for its portion of the metro area’s regional emergency communications system managed by the Mid-America Regional Council. Fees from landline phones only covered $218,000 of the total $1.1 million in total 911 costs despite 80% of calls in the county made from wireless devices. The new fee implemented will…