City to Budget Extra Cash for Radio System

Concerned about budget shortfalls in coming years, officials have decided to pay cash, rather than issue bonds, to cover the city’s share of a new countywide emergency communications system.

The city’s tab will come to about $1.7 million. Officials said they have already set aside more than $1 million toward the $84-million radio system, which fire and police officers say is urgently needed to replace the aging equipment now being used.

The 81-channel system, to come online in 1997, will link 100 city and county police, fire and public works departments onto one, integrated system.

The cities’ portion of the bill for the new radio system, first proposed eight years ago, increased after Orange County’s 1994 bankruptcy filing, when the county said it could pick up only 39% of the tab.

Buena Park officials had the city’s share of the money in reserve three years ago but now must come up with another $660,000.

Some other cities have put together a bond package that would allow each participant to borrow money for 10 years at a low interest rate to help pay for the system.

But Buena Park Finance Director Greg Beaubien told the City Council this week: “I cannot support adding permanent debt payments to the budget over the next 10 years.”

Council members tentatively agreed to budget about $155,000 annually over the next four years to pay for the project and to formalize the plan when they adopt a budget for the next fiscal year.