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McHenry County finance committee deadlocks on funding for new countywide radios; item moves to full board
Summary
The county finance committee split 3–3 on a resolution to appropriate $1,875,204 (partly from the RTA fund) for replacement radios after staff said ~560 units arrived Dec. 29 and Motorola offered time-limited deployment incentives. An amendment to split funding among RTA, capital and reserves also failed.
McHenry County Finance Committee, meeting Jan. 14, 2026 — The finance committee failed to advance an emergency appropriation for replacement county radios after a contentious debate over whether to use RTA (transportation) funds, the capital fund or general‑fund reserves.
The committee heard that approximately 560 radios — a mix of higher-capability units for patrol mapping and lower-capability handsets — were delivered Dec. 29 and are staged in county receiving. Carrie, speaking for court administration and staff, said the county had worked with Motorola for months and that the vendor offered incentives, including training and on‑site programming, that would reduce time and labor for deployment.
Why it matters: Committee members split along a policy line. Several members said they supported…
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