Dawson County officials recommend SmartCop records system, plan short-term general-fund financing pending SPLOST 8
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Summary
County staff identified SmartCop as the preferred records-management vendor to replace aging servers and support the new EOC, proposing a roughly $494,497 implementation paid from the general fund and later reimbursed from SPLOST 8 if voters approve.
Dawson County staff told the board they have selected SmartCop as the preferred records-management and CAD supplier to replace aging on-site servers and support the county’s new emergency operations center. The county presented an estimated implementation cost of $494,497 and outlined a plan to pay from the general fund this year with the intention of repaying those amounts from SPLOST 8 if the referendum is approved.
County presenters said the current records servers were purchased in 2018–2019 and run continuously; staff raised concerns the older hardware may fail when moved into the new EOC. They also said the incumbent vendor has been slow to respond to open work tickets dating to 2024, prompting county IT and a cross-department committee to seek alternatives and run additional demonstrations.
Officials showed numbers comparing ongoing maintenance costs: the county’s current annual maintenance for records management, CAD and jail systems was presented as roughly $113,000, while SmartCop’s quoted annual maintenance was shown as $77,000 with an additional hosting fee the presenter described as $22,000 per year. The presenter said the county would save at least $15,000 annually in maintenance and avoid needing server rack space in the new EOC if the county moves to the SmartCop cloud-hosted solution.
On implementation, presenters and the vendor said dispatch capabilities could be operational in about four months from signing and the full system in approximately 12 months, with a training window beginning a few weeks before go-live and on-site follow-up support thereafter. SmartCop representatives told the board the RMS integrates with Fire’s ESO reporting software and supports forthcoming mobile-driver-license requirements.
Finance staff described the chosen financing approach as an internal short-term loan from the general fund with the intention of reimbursement from SPLOST 8 proceeds if that ballot item is approved. Speakers acknowledged the funding plan carries risk if SPLOST 8 does not pass and discussed alternatives such as removing the purchase from SPLOST and using other budget sources.
No formal procurement vote appears in the recorded portion of the meeting; staff asked the board to receive the information and indicated a recommendation is included in the meeting packet.
