CHENANGO COUNTY – Chenango County is moving ahead with adding a local surcharge to pre-paid cell phone plans.

The County Board of Supervisors voted last month to adopt the 30 cent surcharge which officials say will essentially help keep and maintain 911 emergency communications in the county.

The action groups people with pre-paid services – including TracFone, Straight Talk, or Virgin Mobile – with those who have long-term cell phone contracts with companies like Sprint and Verizon and already pay a similar surcharge.

“The utilization of those dollars is prescribed in law of what they can be used for, and that is emergency communications,” said County Board Clerk RC Woodford, noting that the newly adopted local law is an effort to adapt to recent changes made at the state level.