The Fort Dodge City Council will consider calling for a Sept. 10 special election on proposed utility franchise fees when it meets tonight.

The fees would be 5 percent levies added to the electric and gas bills of MidAmerican Energy customers.

All of the revenue from the proposed fees, an estimated $2.4 million annually, would be used to pay for increasing the Police Department from its current staffing of 40 officers to 48 officers.

That is a change from what city leaders first introduced in January. The initial proposal would have used some of the revenue to also reduce the property tax levy used for paying off general obligation bond debt. That initial proposal would have also directed some of the revenue to the Karl L. King Municipal Band and Citizens Central. Both of those were supported by their own property tax levies which were abolished as a result of tax law changes implemented by Gov. Kim Reynolds and the legislature.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. today in the Municipal Building, 819 First Ave. S.

During that meeting, council members will consider resolutions calling for the special election. There is one resolution for an electric franchise fee and one for a natural gas franchise fee.

If the resolutions are approved, the city staff will work with Webster County Auditor Doreen Pliner to set up the election.

If the franchise fees are approved during the special election, the 1 percent local option sales tax levied on gas and electric bills would be eliminated.

The result would be a net increase of $3.68 per month on average residential electric bills, according to figures provided by the city.

There would also be a net increase of $3.18 per month on average residential gas bills, according to those figures.

The City Council was moving to implement the franchise fees with a series of votes. The first reading was approved unanimously on Jan. 22. The second reading was approved Feb. 12 on a 6-0 vote with one council member absent.

In late-February, the council received a petition signed by more than 900 citizens that forced a special election on the issue.

In other business, the council will consider the first readings of measures to update the mechanical, fuel gas, electrical and plumbing codes.