Rome, GA - Cities, county debate radio system funding

[Thunderbolt]

ROME, Ga. — Rome and Floyd County have competing proposals about how to pay the estimated $1 million annual maintenance costs for the new countywide communications system.

RN-T.com - Cities county debate radio system funding

[MTS2000des]

This is one of the often overlooked facts of any large and complex communications system: the maintenance and operational costs. This is where too many government officials fall under the spell of the radio vendor's glossy presentations and sales pitches, and just like car dealers are quick to get you in the driver's seat, the true cost of ownership isn't abundantly clear until AFTER the dust settles.

This is also why many cities are choosing other options than joining these expensive systems when faced with the often mammoth costs of being a subscriber.

[ButchGone]

So there ya have it, the politicians bought the sales pitch and got a $27-million radio system with ten towers. Now they want to hold seminars AFTER it's built to learn how it works so they can figure out how to cough up another $1-million a year in tax payer dollars to maintain it. How ridiculous.
The amount Floyd County spent on their single rural area is what the City of Chattanooga spent building a regional system that covers northwest Georgia to Knoxville.
So what the public is stuck with is a $47-million in total expenditure. And that is $15,000 per radio.
Mind boggling.
BG..