Officer tracking and radio system improvements
Summary
The P25 radio system needs a sixth tower to meet its 95% coverage guarantee, but L3 Harris hasn't acted since a key account manager left. The county is pushing a $300K change order in exchange for future maintenance discounts — and ongoing maintenance will run $240K/year now, $600K/year once the refresh contract kicks in.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 2
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Aug 4, 2026.
Impact analysis
$240K/year in maintenance now, ~$600K/year after the refresh; $300K change order proposed; ARPA funds must be spent by year end.
First responders countywide once coverage is complete.
Taxpayers carry escalating maintenance costs; delayed coverage leaves radio dead zones.
Mentions & discussions (2)
Commissioners Court BUDGET WORKSHOP — 2026-08-04
The P25 radio system needs a sixth tower to meet its 95% coverage guarantee, but L3 Harris hasn't acted since a key account manager left. The county is pushing a $300K change order in exchange for future maintenance discounts — and ongoing maintenance will run $240K/year now, $600K/year once the refresh contract kicks in.
Commissioners Court Regular Meeting — 2026-01-29
A $13,000 software upgrade lets dispatchers track deputies via their radios instead of unpluggable USB GPS devices, and generator alarms at five towers will now report outages properly.
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