Voters to consider sales tax increase for radio system in April

[Chief]

http://columbian.com/news/localNews/2007/12/12042007_Voters-to-consider-sales-tax-increase-for-radio-system-in-April.cfm

Tuesday, December 04, 2007
By JEFFREY MIZE, columbian Staff Writer

Clark County voters will be asked next April to add another 0.1 percent to the sales tax to replace the county's emergency radio system.

County commissioners voted 3-0 Tuesday morning to place the tax increase on the April 22 ballot.

The radio system allows dispatchers to communicate with police officers and firefighters and emergency responders to talk with each other. It is considered the electronic backbone for effective emergency response.

**SCHNIPP**

Figure the odds on this one too tefen...

It's undeniable that there is a need for this, but I'm not convinced that raising the sales tax is necessary, because like we talked about here before, there have got to be Homeland Security funds out there to help pay for part of this. The State just had a $2 Billion surplus last year, and pised it away, and now we're to believe the only recourse is to jack up the sales tax another notch??

DOA if this is how they intend to present this...

[karma]

Heck they have money for pet projects, why not put this one in and toss out the wind generators one?? Are they not listening to the voters in the last election?? There is money down there and they need to find it??

[Waterbuffalo]

After what happened with the last election Chief, suspect this one is going to go down in flames too.. Even though we really need it..

Is there a way we could merge our radios with Portland and their metro system and buy a regional system? Might be cheaper..

[Chief]

You still have to buy the digital hardware, and that's the problem. The cirrent system is analog, outdated, and no longer supported. Whether it jives with Portland is irrelavent. What is relavent is how to keep the Clark County 911 system, and the related emergency communications going.

[Waterbuffalo]

What I was asking was is there a way to combine two systems into one to save money and cross-talk in case of someone fleeing a scene across state lines and they could work together.

Plus if we combined systems, it might be cheaper to have buy in bulk?

[karma]

Buff, for they to share information is like stabbing a dead chicken???? They don't work together if you haven't gotten that message? Everything is separately done and this is why it's important to look outside the box so to say. I hear in the rumor mill if we really had a disaster, it's every man/woman/child for themselves??? It's amazing to see how the Feds do one thing and the Counties and Cities do something completely different and to get them all at one table is like pulling teeth!! Whom is the boss here???

[Waterbuffalo]

I've been watching comments on the BoCC and don't think I am going to worry about the "every man/woman/child for themselves" mentality, unless your joining a certain select few that need a row boat during a political fire storm.

As far as I am worried about some natural disaster, most communities come together during such an event. And if not, then people will just leave or move some where else that will have that feel.

[Chief]

WB, I think in general, digital systems like this are compatable, and use assigned frequencies like regular radios do.

I am unaware of any provision under Washington or Oregon law that would allow Clark County to go in with anyone in Oregon for a "bulk discount" on digital police radio systems. besides, it will be tricky enough to coordinate between all of the agencies on this side of the river without worrying about dragging Oregon along for the ride too.

The point here: is it absolutely necessary to raise the money for this by increasig the sales tax again??

[Waterbuffalo]

"is it absolutely necessary to raise the money for this by increasing the sales tax again??"

Sounds like that will be the next central theme to vote on. Does any one know when we'll be voting on this? In Feb. or March?

[Chief]

The election will be sometime in April, actual date TBD...

Food for thought: If the County can't raise the money for something like this without a tax increase, how in the world can they even consider light rail into Downtown Vancouver??

$50 Million for a County wide emergency radio system, or $2.2 Billion just to build (not operate) Mayor Pollard's Loot Rail???

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...........Let me think.....

::)

[karma]

To answer your question Chief, 'No!' They have the money but select to spend it on pet projects and stuff that allows the Vancouver Urban Growth Broundary folks to obtain City services without being a City. This is not what a county is supposed to do for it's citizens and yet they want to add more taxes to the mix?? It makes for more of us to cross the bridge to do our shopping?? It also make for some of us to want to sell our homes and move else where???

[Chief]

Who is going to buy it??

[karma]

Chief, I have a Clark County Dream Home, at the end of a deadend lane and one of the best kept houses in my neighborhood!! I have land and let's just say when we sell we will make out like a bandit due to what we purchased this house for and the fact that we have $300,000 houses next to us?? One has just got to love Clark County, right??

[Waterbuffalo]

Chief, she forgets all those taxes she's been paying for years to support Iron Maidens pet projects..

[Chief]

All I can say, is that if we can't raise $50 Million for radios without raising taxes, wait till you see what light rail is gonna run you...

[karma]

Chief, it they would stop all this personal agenda crap and take a serious look at the budget I'm sure they would find enough to cover this and do what their oath tell them to do with the safety of it's citizens coming first???

[Chief]

It seems to me that we can always find ways to fund the goodies, but something like this gets a knee-jerk tax increase. I have seen no evidence that anyone has tried for grant money, or applied to Homeland Security, or any other number of options that must be out there to help pay for this.

We could get into a discussion about the missing leg of the three-legged munincipal funding stool, but I'll save that for another rant...

[pdxlady]

Chief,
I was wondering the same thing - if there was grant money or other funding mechanisms available for the project. I'd be curious what other local governements in the state or around the country have decided to do or done. I would venture to guess we aren't the only ones having to go to new technology.

[Chief]

Thanks pdxlady...I'm glad it isn't just me on this. I don't deny that we need an up-to-date system, I jst don't believe we need to consider a tax increase to do it, at least not yet.

[Waterbuffalo]

Well I'll take a wait and see attitude on this one until I see or hear more details..

[karma]

I don't believe they take a serious look at any other funding other than taxes down there?? That or whomever does the grant writing isn't doing a good job? There is money available it's just if they have the skills???

[Chief]

There was a good letter to the editor this morning, from a fellow who suggest that we buy all the spares we need from Motorola now, before they discontinue support in 2012...not a bad idea if it would buy some time to pursue those other funding potions...

[Waterbuffalo]

Sounds like a good stop measure until 2012. Is there any technical reason like they may be phasing those airwaves out with the motorola radios?