Linn County sheriff warns radio system maintenance and staffing pressures could require broader funding share from cities and districts

Sheriff Gardner told the Linn County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 7 that portable radios on the county's regional communications system have exceeded their expected life span and a funding gap could force a reallocation of costs to smaller cities and fire districts before fiscal 2028.

The sheriff, speaking during the elected-officials update, said the county joined a regional radio backbone in 2010 to unify communications with Cedar Rapids, Marion and other Eastern Iowa jurisdictions. He said the portable radios carried by officers and firefighters are now aging and parts for older models are becoming scarce, so the county's capital improvement plan includes replacing the portables while parts remain available.

"The portable radios... those are exceeding their projected lifespan," Gardner said. "So we're looking to replace those portable radios." The sheriff added that mobile radios in vehicles have held up better.

Why it matters: the county is a principal funder of the SARA regional radio system and a member of the 9-1-1 board. Gardner said the county, Cedar Rapids and Marion have shouldered most maintenance and that revenues from 9-1-1 surcharges have not kept pace with rising costs. He said the 9-1-1 board's financial adviser forecasts the current funding to be sufficient only through fiscal 2028, and officials are discussing whether to ask the smaller cities and fire districts that use the system to contribute.

"What we find out now is our expenses are going up, our revenues are coming down, and at a certain point we're gonna pass that critical line where we don't have enough money to pay for what we're currently paying for," Gardner said. He said the board has discussed bringing in Hiawatha, Mount Vernon, Lisbon, Robins and some fire departments to share costs and that the county will coordinate with the other large partners to determine an equitable approach.

The sheriff also reviewed other operational items. He said the county expects to begin housing U.S. Marshals Service inmates under a new intergovernmental agreement, possibly sometime after Feb. 1, and that the county is preparing to ready cell blocks that had been staging areas during construction.

On staffing, Gardner said the sheriff's office received 74 returned applications for a deputy test but only 16 people attended the test. He said the office continues to hire civilian detention officers—many from the Department of Corrections—as an alternative to filling deputy vacancies and to reduce forced overtime.

"The flip side of that coin is we continue to have very good luck hiring civilian detention officers... almost without exception... they've worked out great," Gardner said, adding that several detention officers later applied to become deputies.

Board-level and regional actions are still pending: Gardner said the county chairs the 9-1-1 board and will continue discussions with Cedar Rapids and Marion before approaching other jurisdictions and councils to prepare them for possible future costs. He encouraged local officials to consider budgeting for potential increases ahead of FY2028.

The sheriff's report contained no formal votes.