In a major policy shift, Hamilton County commissioners today announced they will pay for and install the county's part of an 800-megahertz emergency radio system. Officials had previously called the system vital but unaffordable.

The commissioners, led by Bob Bedinghaus, instructed county Administrator David Krings to find a way to make the system happen, following three rejections by voters of tax levies to pay for it.

"It is very important that everyone understand that this is not the same project that has been considered by voters," said County Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus, who noted that the scaled-back plan will not fund such systems as Cincinnati, Wyoming and Norwood, which have their own dispatching services.

And the 40 area governments that are part of the county's dispatching service now will have to buy their own radio equipment, which would have been funded under the levy.

"To accomplish this, we need to identify the funding of the infrastructure for the 800 megahertz upgrade as a budget priority-goal," Bedinghaus said. "This will result in Hamilton County needing to tighten our belt and shift priorities. This will not be easy."

Commissioners Tom Neyer Jr. and John Dowlin agreed with Bedinghaus' announcement, which called for the county to request proposals from companies to install the county system - and possibly, the equipment necessary for Cincinnati and other governments, to save them costs.

Bedinghaus said he wants the county to award a contract in mid-2000. The project would take about two years, which effectively would give local governments three years to raise the necessary money, he said.

Local communities' ability to afford the system was unknown this morning.

The announcement was a dramatic shift from Bedinghaus' remarks the night of May 4, after the issue's third defeat since 1984.

He said then: "The county is not going to belly up to the bar and pay for this system. It isn't the way this operates. We gave this a shot as a regional approach to a local issue. We gave local communities an opportunity to put in place a communication system that none of them can afford on their own. Obviously, the voters disagreed with that." Neyer agreed with Bedinghaus that to seek yet another communications levy is not an option. "I wholeheartedly support this approach," Dowlin added. "We need to do it in urgency."

Fire chiefs who fought for the May levy were unavailable to comment this morning.

Copyright 1999 The Cincinnati Post