County 911 director seeks city support for sales-tax measure to fund radio upgrades

Sofia Cofield, executive director of ICOM 911, told the Oak Harbor City Council on March 18 that the countywide 911 center needs new radio infrastructure and additional staffing and asked the council to consider a resolution supporting a proposed sales-tax levy to fund the work.

“Last year, our call volume for 2024 was just over 93,000 calls,” Cofield said. She described ICOM as “the countywide 911 center that answers all of the 911 calls that come in or business lines” and said dispatchers are cross-trained on phones and radios. Cofield said the agency’s radio system is more than four decades old and that some island locations lack reliable radio coverage.

The levy Cofield described would add two-tenths of 1 percent to the sales tax — “2¢ on a $10 purchase,” she said — and would be placed on an April special ballot. Cofield said groceries, medical prescriptions and some other purchases would be exempt. She told council that the estimate for the measure’s first year of revenue is roughly $3 million to $3.5 million, depending on the economy.

Why it matters: ICOM’s radio coverage directly affects emergency responders’ ability to coordinate with dispatchers. Cofield told council that unreliable radio signals and aging equipment can leave responders out of radio contact in areas such as Deception Pass and other parts of the islands, creating safety and operational risks.

Councilmember questions and staff discussion focused on scope, cost and fiscal control. Councilmember Stuckey pressed for a clearer price tag for the full upgrade, noting that the project is “a multimillion-dollar project” but that the exact total has not been finalized. Cofield said the agency has obtained some state grants — including a roughly $500,000 state award two years earlier — but that grant funding alone would not cover the full scope.

Cofield also described a recent statewide rollout of text-to-911 service and gave examples of how texting has helped in remote areas. She said ICOM’s funding currently comes mostly from user agencies (about 65% of the budget), with the remainder from phone-line fees, a state contract and other sources.

Council action: A council member asked that staff prepare a resolution of support for the ICOM levy for consideration on the April 1 council agenda. Council directed staff to prepare that resolution for the April 1 packet.

What was not decided: Council did not vote to place the levy on the ballot; Cofield said the measure is slated for the April special ballot and asked for municipal support in the form of a resolution. The transcript does not include a council vote tally for the draft-resolution direction.

Community detail: Cofield invited council and the public to tour ICOM’s center and said signs and yard signs would be available at upcoming outreach events. She said the agency is also asking the public to be aware of how the funds would be used to repair and replace failing radio infrastructure and to add staffing capacity to reduce overtime and dispatcher overload.

Ending: Councilmembers thanked Cofield for the presentation and asked staff to return the draft resolution for consideration at the April 1 meeting.