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Leavenworth County officials say Motorola radio upgrades will cost millions; commissioners consider sales-tax option
Summary
County leaders heard estimates for mandatory Motorola system upgrades through 2032, heard annual operating costs near $900,000, and discussed a potential special sales tax to fund replacement and ongoing maintenance; short-term general-fund support will be required before any ballot measure.
Leavenworth County officials, the sheriff's office and Motorola account representatives briefed the Board of County Commissioners on an upcoming multi-stage upgrade to the county's Motorola P25 radio system and potential funding options.
County staff said the system, built after a 2005 sales-tax ballot and activated in 2008, is aging and that the county has covered rising maintenance costs in recent years (about $675,000 drawn from the general fund over the last two years, staff said). The sheriff said the system now costs "just short of a million dollars a year to run." Motorola representatives described three mandatory upgrade stages with target completion years of 2029, 2030 and 2032, estimating rough costs of $700,000–$800,000 for the first stage, $850,000–$1,000,000 for the second, and about $4.2 million for the third.
Motorola account manager Kirk Moore told commissioners the upgrades are being driven by industry-wide lifecycle changes and that agencies using Motorola equipment nationwide face similar replacement needs. Staff and the sheriff explained the county is largely funding the system for all users in the county and that other users (people traveling on I‑70, nonproperty owners, Fort Leavenworth and visiting motorists) use the system without directly paying property taxes that support it.
Commissioners discussed funding options and the county administrator said a special sales tax could be the most equitable way to spread costs; that option would require state legislative action and placement on a ballot in a later cycle. County staff said any sales-tax measure should cover both capital replacement and ongoing maintenance so replacements do not repeat as future budget pressures. Staff also said that, in the short term, general-fund support will again be needed in the 2026 budget to continue operations while a longer-term funding plan is developed.
Staff noted other lifecycle costs beyond the three upgrade stages, including aging tower infrastructure (estimated replacement cost about $250,000 per tower), generator replacement (20-year lifespan; $25,000–$30,000 each), and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) replacements (roughly $35,000 per site at prime facilities). The county indicated it will develop a maintenance/replacement schedule and explore a sales-tax ordinance or other financing options.
No binding decision was made during the work session; staff will return with funding numbers and options for next steps.
