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Commissioners approve $15.6M, 8‑year maintenance contract for county radio system despite objections
Summary
Fulton County approved an award without competition to continue maintenance and licensing for its Motorola radio system through an eight-year agreement totaling up to $15,596,448; commissioners debated vendor concentration, pass‑through fees, and the difficulty and cost of switching vendors.
The Fulton County Board of Commissioners on June 3 approved an award without competition for ongoing maintenance and licensing of the county’s radio system, continuing the current Motorola arrangement under an eight‑year agreement valued up to $15,596,448.
Felicia Strong, representing Emergency Services, said the maintenance and licensing agreement follows the county’s original procurement of the Motorola radio system and that continued maintenance is required to keep the system operational. “This was solicited when we selected the Motorola back in 2013,” Strong said. Staff explained that the system implementation moved into annual maintenance and licensing agreements after implementation.
Commissioners pressed for alternatives and questioned the lack of competition. One commissioner asked whether other firms could service the system; county telecommunications staff said the two major radio vendors able to handle the county’s capacity are Motorola and Harris, but changing vendors would require replacing proprietary equipment and would cost tens of millions. "To go to another radio company would be very, very difficult because everybody has purchased hardware and software to support this system," a telecommunications official said.
Vice Chair Khadija Abdul Rahman urged caution about sticker shock but emphasized long‑term rate stability when multi‑year licensing is locked in. County staff also explained that intergovernmental agreements with municipalities help defray costs because cities pay radio fees to use the county system.
The vote to approve the no‑bid award passed 4 yeas, 1 nay. The board recorded concerns about vendor concentration and the term length but accepted that converting to an alternative system would carry a very large upfront cost.
Why it matters: The radio system supports public safety communications across jurisdictions. Commissioners balanced operational continuity and interoperability against vendor concentration, long contract terms and significant pass‑through fee arrangements.
Next steps: Emergency Services and procurement staff will finalize the contract and continue annual budget approvals for maintenance payments; staff said IGAs with cities will continue to offset a portion of annual costs.
