Commissioners plan smaller cell-phone budget after litigation holds end

Veronica, the commissioners' budget presenter, proposed on June 2 reducing the commissioners’ cellphone budget from $3,000 to $2,000 now that two former commissioners’ phones are scheduled to be shut off following the end of litigation holds.

Veronica presented current monthly costs by line: Commissioner Domke at $38.42 per month ($461.04 per year), Commissioner Williams at $46.74 per month ($560.88 per year) and Commissioner Korn at $41.74 per month ($588 per year), for a combined total of $1,522.80 annually for the three phones cited. She said that when the former commissioners’ phones are deactivated, the department will no longer carry those additional phone charges and the budget line can be reduced.

Options and constraints: Veronica said one commissioner’s phone remains on a contract that would incur a large penalty if changed and that another commissioner may qualify for a health-care discount on a personal Verizon plan. Veronica noted that switching to FirstNet could reduce costs modestly (to roughly $38.42 per month per phone) but emphasized contract penalties and discounts would affect net savings.

Next steps: Veronica said she will check with Bob about phone reimbursements and confirm which commissioners are on which carriers and whether individual discounts or contract penalties apply before any further change is made to the cellphone budget. Commissioners raised whether county-issued phones are necessary for all seats but did not direct a formal policy change at the meeting.

Outcome: Staff recommended reducing the cellphone budget to $2,000 for next fiscal year and will return with exact carrier, discount and penalty figures to finalize the line.