Opinion ID: 3150496
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: Historically, the emergency 911 service in Campbell County—like much of the Commonwealth—was funded by imposing a monthly subscriber fee per landline telephone. Needless to say, the number of landline phones is decreasing rapidly. As such, the increase in wireless telephones and other technologies has rendered the landline subscriber fee an inadequate source of funding. On August 7, 2013, the Campbell County Fiscal Court (County) adopted Ordinance 0-04-13 (Ordinance). The Ordinance replaced the landline subscriber charge with an annual service fee of $45.00 levied upon each occupied individual residential and commercial unit within Campbell County. The Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Apartment Association (Association) filed a declaratory action in Campbell Circuit Court alleging that the Ordinance was an unconstitutional and invalid exercise of the County's authority. The trial court disagreed and ruled in favor of the County, thus affirming the Ordinance. The Association appealed that judgment and moved pursuant to CR 74.02 for an order transferring this case from the Court of Appeals to this Court. Given the statewide importance of this case, we granted transfer. Having reviewed the record and the law, we affirm the circuit court's ruling, but on different grounds.