Commissioners and trustees spar over fairness, responsibility for funding radio replacements

The public-comment period and commissioner discussion exposed a split over whether a countywide 9-1-1 surcharge is a fair solution to replace 800 MHz radios or an unfair shift of township responsibility onto countywide voters.

Commissioner Kennedy said she heard from constituents and social-media contacts that residents were not demanding this measure and criticized the idea of "kicking the can" to the voters to solve townships' failure to plan. "This isn't something they're demanding," she said.

Former Leoni Township trustee Kurt Cole urged the board not to "open up this extra fee upon the people" and said townships have the power to run their own millages rather than relying on the county. That remark drew pushback from commissioners who said some townships did plan and that countywide coordination can reduce duplication and interoperability problems.

Opponents also stressed timing and education concerns: some commissioners said there had been opportunities in prior years to plan for replacement and warned the ballot deadline compressed public outreach. Commissioner Duckham raised fiscally conservative objections, saying the county should avoid new taxes where possible and questioning whether townships sought a 'windfall.'