Motorola may seem like a blast from the past, a relic from the earlier days of cell phones.
Many people probably don’t even realize that the company is still around.
As it turns out, however, Motorola is very much alive and well, and the company by far is the biggest player in the first responder radio industry. For example, the Baldwin County government pays Motorola $290,539 every year in “maintenance” costs, as well as around $60,000 per year in “upgrade” costs.
On top of that, the county government soon will owe Motorola another $1.166 million for a “lease payment.” Payment for that invoice is due by January, and now the county commission is trying to figure out how to pay for it.
“We received an invoice from Motorola...that we are struggling to pay due to the crushing debt load we’re dealing with right now,” Interim County Manager Paul Van Haute told commissioners at Tuesday’s meeting.
The current first responder radio system dates back to 2012. A total of 476 radios currently are in operation. Here’s the breakdown: • Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and Baldwin County Fire Rescue – 252 radios
• Milledgeville Police Department and Milledgeville Fire Rescue – 110 radios
• Baldwin County
School District – 50 radios • Georgia College & State University – 49 radios • Atrium Health Navicent Baldwin – 15 radios Georgia Military College and the local Emergency Management Agency also operate a handful of radios.