Butler County commissioners: No new taxes for safety equipment

Fairfield Police officer Scott Webb displays his radio outside the police station, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017. Butler County officials and police and fire departments across the county are looking at a $19.2 million price tag to replace parts of the 800 MHz communications systems, including the radios first responders carry. GREG LYNCH / STAFF

Fairfield Police officer Scott Webb displays his radio outside the police station, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017. Butler County officials and police and fire departments across the county are looking at a $19.2 million price tag to replace parts of the 800 MHz communications systems, including the radios first responders carry. GREG LYNCH / STAFF
News
By Denise Callahan
Aug 9, 2017
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Butler County commissioners say the $19.2 million bill for replacing emergency response equipment will not alter debt elimination plan for 2020.

County officials learned recently Motorola is requiring a communications system upgrade and has stopped making radios used by all law enforcement and firefighters countywide. The company will stop servicing the equipment in 2019.

MORE: Butler County officials balk at tax hike to buy new emergency radios

The local police and fire jurisdictions are on the hook for their own radios. The breakdown is it will cost around $6.7 million to upgrade the system — all on the county’s dime — and $12.5 million for the radios. The sheriff’s share of those is about $3.5 million.

Some have suggested a temporary sales tax.

Commissioners T.C. Rogers and Don Dixon have both said no.

“We’re not planning on borrowing money, we do have reserves…,” Rogers said. “We’re not planning on borrowing and we’re not planning on raising taxes.”

RELATED: Butler County 2018 budget called a challenge

The commissioners back in 2005 put on a .50 temporary sales tax to pay for the entire system and the 800 MHz system went into operation at the end of 2008.

The county is expecting to have almost $34 million in cash reserves at the end of 2018 and there is about $6 million in the rainy day fund. A couple years ago the commissioners embarked on a debt reduction acceleration plan. The debt that stood at $91.3 million in 2009, was scheduled to be $43 million at the end of last year and zero by 2020.

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About the Author

Denise Callahan