The Marion County Board will be asked to add $1 million to next year’s budget from the Public Safety Tax to begin work on converting the county to a new digital radio system.
Board Chair and Centralia Police Lieutenant Steve Whritenour says the old analog system has outlived its time.
“Marion County unfortunately is still on an old analog system,” Whritenour said. “Improving communications throughout the entire county would benefit every fire department, every law enforcement agency and ambulance service, to have that lifeline between the dispatch and all those agencies. It’s a vital link.”
Whritenour says a lot more money will be needed.
“It’s going to take more than just public safety tax money to fund it. I am in the process of talking to some different entities in order to bring this to fruition.”
Whritenour says the Clinton County digital system that is scheduled to go live early next year has cost about $4 million.
The Marion County Board is expected to adopt its tentative budget at a special meeting Wednesday night. A closed session is planned to deal with the animal control facility issue and the reconstruction of the Marion County ESDA organization.
The meeting gets underway at six on Wednesday night in third floor courtroom #302.
