Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County weighs Motorola radio contract and 911 fund limits as emergency costs rise
Summary
Emergency management briefed the board on a $220,000‑a‑year Motorola maintenance contract (5‑year term) split between general and special revenues, and commissioners discussed the county's $1 cap on the 911 tax as a constraint on funding rising emergency‑communications costs.
John, emergency management director, told the board the radio project remains incomplete pending final acceptance from the state and OCIO and that a 5‑year Motorola maintenance contract will begin on final acceptance. He said the contract’s first‑year cost is roughly $220,000 and that the county split about half to the general fund and half to special‑revenue funds to accommodate the expense.
Board members discussed timing and budgeting for the contract payment, noting that the city’s fiscal calendar may shift the county’s first payment into the next county fiscal year; John said Motorola typically starts billing one year after final acceptance. Commissioners also raised a longer-term funding issue: the county’s 911 tax is set at a $1 “lid” that limits wireless revenue the county can capture for 911 operations, even as costs to operate 911 centers have risen. John said recent adjustments to wireless allotments helped but warned the county may need to track this for future budget cycles.
