Subject: [NEXTEL-1] County Leg. approves $2M for emergency radios

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 04 Jun 2003 03:15:52 -0400

County Leg. approves $2M for emergency radios

By DIANA LaMATTINA
Journal Staff

ITHACA -- The County Legislature voted Tuesday to spend $2 million from the 2004
budget to fund improvements in the county's emergency communications system this
year.

The total cost of the project, which will eventually mean new radios, digital
technology and fewer "dead spots," could reach $18 million.

The funds borrowed will be put toward the communications equipment and radio tower
at the 911 dispatch Emergency Response Center under construction on Brown Road in
Lansing.

The radio system, the communications lifeline for fire, police and ambulance
personnel, has been five years in the planning stages. The money has long been in
the county's capital budget, but officials had earlier planned on spending the
money next year instead of this year.

Using the money this year takes advantage of discounted prices from Motorola, the
company building the new radio system.

Also Tuesday night, the legislature set the 2004 target budgets of all locally
funded departments and agencies at the 2003 base levels.

The county, however, is asking the departments to absorb about $1 million in
negotiated payroll increases and more than $4 million in increased costs of fringe
benefits, which will be the equivalent of absorbing a 16 percent spending cut.

The 2004 cost of fringe benefits is estimated at $12.1 million, an increase of 47
percent from the 2003 budget. The local share of the New York state retirement
system, health insurance and pharmacy costs for employees comprises the largest
expense in the fringe rate.

The fringe benefit rate for the county will be raised from 27 percent to 39
percent of the payroll in 2004.

http://www.theithacajournal.com/news/stories/20030604/localnews/416192.html
Originally published Wednesday, June 4, 2003

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