Washtenaw County 800 Mhz Radio System Plan

Official Policy
September 2004

The Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce and the Ypsilanti Area Chamber of Commerce have jointly reviewed the 800 MHz radio system plan.  We encourage the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners not to put the 800 MHz radio system plan on the November 2004 ballot as it is currently proposed. 

We recognize the importance of this new system and support Washtenaw County moving to purchase and implement it.  We agree there is a need for improved communications for police, fire and emergency agencies throughout the county and recognize the benefits of a joint, countywide system that links to the state system.   We support the system, but we do not support the funding source that is being proposed to pay for it.

The Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce and the Ypsilanti Area Chamber of Commerce cannot support increasing the 911 surcharge on land telephone lines from $.80 per month to $4.00 per month.  This would significantly impact small businesses in a negative way.  

Increasing the 911 charge on landlines 400% is not an effective way to fund this proposal.  Landlines should not be tapped to fund our 911 communication system moving forward.  The number of landlines in Washtenaw County has decreased from 308,099 in 2000 to 263, 917 in 2003—and this proposal would likely further this trend.

A more appropriate way to fund the new system would be to spread it over a larger base and over a longer period of time.  Options to consider would be using a small millage increase to fund a portion of the system and using operating funds from participating agencies to fund the other portion or attempting to change state law to allow the surcharge to be applied to cell phones as well as land lines. 

Washtenaw County currently has a radio system that seventeen public safety agencies and non-safety groups (i.e. Ann Arbor Public Schools, Eastern Michigan Police Department, etc) have bought and paid for system upgrades.  We support a proposal to upgrade to the 800 MHz radio system that includes continued funding support from each agency participating in the system along with a more balanced and stable funding source.