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Richland County approves limited Spectrum circuit upgrades, avoids full network overhaul
Summary
After reviewing two Spectrum quotes under new Ohio state pricing, the Richland County Board of Commissioners voted to approve limited internet circuit upgrades—upgrading only locations that need higher speeds—citing modest cost savings and minimal performance impact for phone-only sites.
The Richland County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a limited upgrade of county internet circuits, opting not to upgrade every location on the Spectrum quote. Commissioners agreed that several sites that receive only phone service would not materially benefit from higher-speed circuits.
County IT staff explained the county is currently month-to-month on most Spectrum circuits and presented two options under the state of Ohio contract pricing: upgrade all circuits or upgrade only the circuits that require additional bandwidth. A staff member told the board that “the 100 meg circuits are normally $407 a month” but that the state contract had reduced pricing in some tiers. Staff said upgrading everything would increase the county’s monthly recurring charges by roughly $300, while limiting upgrades to needed circuits would instead save about $121 per month compared with the full-upgrade option. Staff cautioned that taxes and surcharges were not reflected on the written quotes, making exact comparisons less clear.
Commissioner Cliff Mears said he was leaning against upgrading circuits “that aren’t gonna be used.” After discussion, Commissioner Vero moved to approve the partial upgrades; the motion passed in roll call vote with all commissioners recorded as voting yes. Staff noted the county will accept new five-year terms via the Ohio portal (no county signature) and that some higher-capacity circuits will actually show reduced rates under the new state pricing.
