While the 911 surcharge increased in 2023, local officials and the state county association say it still needs to be higher. By Melissa Pérez-Carrillo, Spotlight PA State CollegePictured above: An ambulance seen head-on with its lights on in the daylight. Pennsylvania lawmakers once again declined to increase the state’s 911 surcharge in this year’s budget, leaving counties to cover rising costs for emergency call centers on their own. He told Spotlight PA that dozens of counties and municipalities across the commonwealth reached out to members of the legislature and the governor’s office. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability and public-service journalism that gets results.