What were they thinking? Two recent votes by the Loudoun Board of Supervisors – one to spend $36 million to replace a six-year-old public safety radio system, and the other rejecting a proposed marketing partnership with the Washington Redskins – have lots of folks across the region scratching their heads in disbelief. Loudoun County has a $200 million budget deficit and there is talk of raising the property tax rate to offset revenue losses after home prices plunged from an average of $516,000 in July 2007 to $320,000 last month. On the same day as the Redskins vote, Loudou supervisors voted to buy a new emergency response radio system from Motorola – the same company that installed the county’s current system. Only Board Chairman Scott York and Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio, R-Sterling, voted no.
Loudoun’s existing $13 million system was purchased six years ago under a sole-source contract with Motorola. After being told this time around by Motorola that no other vendors could ensure communications interoperability with surrounding jurisdictions, supervisors were threatened with a $5 million price hike if they didn’t okay the new contract by Dec. 31.
However, since Motorola installed the current system in 2002, the National Capitol Region (which includes Loudoun) has spent $55 million to guarantee voice and data interoperability for first responders throughout the area. The same upgrades Motorola is now offering could be had for half the cost, according to industry experts who testified at a Dec. 8 public hearing. “You are paying more than the price for a system in a large Midwestern state,” supervisors were told by Bob DeSides, a respected public safety radio communications authority. But they voted for it anyway.
Regarding the Redskins vote, Loudoun supervisors decided against spending funds previously dedicated to tourism on a new marketing partnership with the Redskins – including a Redskins Hall of Fame in Loudoun. Both Fairfax and Prince William Counties scrambled for the fumble, announcing that if Loudoun didn’t welcome the second largest NFL franchise, they certainly would. Loudoun Chamber of Commerce president Tony Howard expressed dismay that a board, which considers economic development a top priority, would turn down a lucrative marketing deal with the most valuable sports franchise in the U.S.
When Loudoun supervisors meet again Thursday, they can either reverse both of these bone-headed decisions – or face more well-deserved wrath from their overtaxed, had-it-up-to-here constituents.
