Cass County ESB warns $9.5 million radio upgrade will consume surplus; urges funding plan

Chris Turnbull, chair of the Cass County Emergency Services Board, told the Belton City Council that a planned Motorola radio infrastructure upgrade of about $9.5 million will draw down nearly all of the board's roughly $10 million surplus.

Turnbull summarized the board's financial history and operational changes dating to the 2012 sales-tax measure that funded a countywide interoperable radio system and 9-1-1 services. He said the ESB currently collects about $1.2 million a year after the tax rolled back to one-eighth cent in 2019, and that the ESB has recently used modest reserves to balance operations. “The other shoe is getting ready to fall,” Turnbull said, describing the timing of the Motorola upgrade and ongoing maintenance commitments.

The ESB chair told the council that the county recently passed a change that will transfer an existing county use tax directly to the ESB, an action the ESB estimates will add about $600,000 to $650,000 annually beginning Jan. 1. Turnbull said the board plans to use some of that revenue to create an equipment-replacement account and to cover ongoing maintenance and warranty costs for the radio infrastructure. He said the ESB hopes to set aside roughly $300,000 to $400,000 a year for replacement of handheld and mobile radios as they age.

Turnbull described technical and operational upgrades made since the 2012 ballot measure. He said the region moved from multiple, incompatible radio frequencies to an 800-megahertz interoperable backbone and that the recently completed CAD migration to CentralSquare now allows PSAPs (public-safety answering points) to transfer a 9-1-1 call and its data without requiring the caller to repeat information.

Council members pressed ESB leaders on two recurring issues: the ballot language used in 2012 and whether the county has a physical, centrally located dispatch facility or is instead 'virtually consolidated.

Turnbull said legal advice from the county and state 9-1-1 board interpreted the 2012 ballot language as permitting 'central dispatching' in a 'virtual' or consolidated sense, supported by integrated CAD and radio systems. He said consultants and the Mid-America Regional Council had reached similar interpretations. Turnbull also said the sheriff had offered a dedicated console seat for fire and EMS if a physical consolidated location were pursued.

Council members expressed concerns about explaining the ballot language to voters, about perceived "double taxation," and about operational resiliency if dispatch were concentrated in a single brick-and-mortar facility. Several council members said they want clearer public messaging and additional review of options for a physical backup or distributed dispatch seats.

Turnbull provided additional operational numbers during the presentation: the ESB currently pays roughly $350,000 a year on maintenance agreements for infrastructure; the board had a surplus on the order of $10 million created during the earlier funding period; and recent years have required modest draws from reserves totaling about $100,000 to $150,000 to balance budgets. He also noted that the ESB had previously discussed rolling the tax back after an initial financing period and that the board has considered asking voters to restore a higher rate if needed.

The ESB presentation closed without a formal council vote; staff provided informational materials and an orientation packet to explain the board's history and finances. Council members and the ESB agreed the matters warrant further local discussion and clearer explanatory materials for residents.