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Midlothian approves $3.05 million Motorola CAD/RMS contract to replace aging system
Summary
City Council authorized a five-year agreement with Motorola for a multi-agency computer-aided dispatch, records management and jail-management system. Council approved the purchase 7-0; initial payment will be covered from a city capital fund and future years will require budget adjustments.
The Midlothian City Council on Tuesday authorized a five-year purchase and implementation agreement with Motorola Solutions for a modern computer-aided dispatch (CAD), records management (RMS) and jail-management system at a total cost of about $3.05 million to be paid over five years.
Council voted 7-0 to authorize the city manager to enter the contract and to accept related interlocal agreements with partner agencies. The council record shows an initial payment of $821,949.20 is due on contract execution; staff said that amount will be covered from the city’s cumulative capital fund and that later payments will be budgeted in future fiscal years.
Why it matters: Midlothian’s public-safety leaders told the council the city has outgrown its current CAD/RMS product and that the Motorola system offers features they need — including recommended unit dispatching, improved case management and closer data compatibility with Ellis County systems. City staff said the change should reduce manual work, improve data reliability for crime analysis and speed information-sharing with the county district attorney’s office.
What the council voted on: The agreement covers software, implementation and five years of licensing/maintenance. City staff said Motorola agreed to honor 2024 pricing through Jan. 31, 2025, saving the city roughly $400,000 if the contract is executed before that date.
What comes next: Staff will finalize the interlocal agreement with partner agencies. The city expects an 18-month implementation; during that time the current vendor will continue service. Staff warned the new system will increase recurring maintenance expenses compared with the current system, and those ongoing costs will be included in the budget for fiscal 2026 and beyond.
Context and caveats: Midlothian is operating a regional public-safety answering point (PSAP) that serves neighboring jurisdictions; staff emphasized the need for a scalable system that can support multiple agencies. City leaders said the current vendor (a university-developed system) will not continue forward development at the pace required for Midlothian’s needs.
No additional actions were required at the meeting; staff will bring the interlocal agreement and implementation timetable to the finance process as part of the coming budget work.
