THE MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS RADIO CONTRACT: WHAT WE KNOW

 

On November 1, a letter from Commissioner Nick Sherman was published in this newspaper criticizing Allegheny County for its Home Rule system of government. Sherman also praised his efforts in being a conservative watchdog of taxpayer dollars.

Sherman said nothing to update the public on the status of the Motorola Solutions radio contract, a multimillion-dollar fiasco, orchestrated by his administration. The contract has all appearances of being badly mismanaged, or worse. This commentary will attempt to pull together all that we know and raise questions about what we don’t know concerning the recent efforts to install a costly emergency radio system for first responders.

As reported by the Observer-Reporter, “The radio system has been a divisive topic for nearly two years after the previous county board of commissioners, led by then chairwoman Diana Irey Vaughan awarded a $22.545 million contract to MRA Inc. in March of 2023.  Maggi sided with Irey Vaughan to approve that contract, while Sherman voted against it since he favored a [more expensive] proposal from Motorola.”

“Irey Vaughan retired in January and was replaced on the board by Janis, who voted with Sherman to terminate the MRA contract. Sherman and Janis then voted to select Motorola’s proposals despite the county having already spent $8.5 million on equipment as it began working to install the MRA system last year.”

We know that the $8.5 million in purchased equipment for the first contract is sitting in a hangar at the Washington County Airport with no plans to use or to return it.

We know that the terminated vendor, MRA, submitted a new proposal. It was again the less expensive option. For unknown reasons it was thrown out by the county public safety committee. Motorola was the only proposal approved by the committee. 

We know that an entity called Mission Critical Partners has been awarded two consulting contracts by the Republican commissioners to oversee the installation of the radio contract. Mission Critical Partners also worked closely with the public safety committee in recommending that Motorola be awarded the contract.

We know that inexplicitly, the Motorola proposal was initially approved in August by the two Republican commissioners, with no physical contract for the commissioners or the public to review. A second vote was taken at a special meeting on September 23, apparently after an actual contract was completed. The contract was not disclosed.    

We know that following the September meeting and vote to approve the contract the Observer-Reporter filed an open records request to obtain the contract and three proposals. The Republican Commissioners denied the request. An appeal was filed with the state Office of Open Records. Finally on November 1, heavily redacted copies of the documents were released that revealed few details on the cost or scope of the multimillion-dollar project.

We know that after the contract was awarded, Motorola informed the commissioners that county-wide radio coverage would be less than expected unless an additional 3-5 radio tower sites were included at an added cost in the millions.

When I questioned Commissioner Larry Maggi in early November, he stated, “I have not received the completed unredacted contract and the final costs of the radio contract are still unknown.”

We know that after terminating the less expensive MRA contract, two months later, the Republican Commissioners reversed themselves. They temporarily reinstated MRA to perform needed upkeep on the current system until a new network is built. According to the O-R, “After reviewing the intricate details of the current system, Sherman thought it would be better to maintain the status quo."

We know that possible conflict of interest questions remain unexplained between the Nick Sherman for County Commissioner political committee and Motorola Solutions. According to filed campaign finance reports, over the past several years, Motorola Solutions has been a consistent contributor to Sherman’s committee. Moreover, Motorola Solutions has sponsored Sherman fund raising and political events.

We know that the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission’s guiding principle is that of public trust and that any effort to realize personal financial gain through one’s public office is a violation of that trust. This would include soliciting or accepting a political contribution based on an understanding that the public official would be influenced.

There remains a great deal we do not know about one of the most expensive contracts in the history of Washington County. What is the real reason for redacting the contract and bids? Why was the initial Motorola proposal approved without a contract? What are the total costs in terminating the MRA contract and now installing and maintaining the Motorola system? Why was MRA excluded in the second bid? What do we not know about the relationship between Sherman and the consultant, Mission Critical Partners, and with Motorola?

The Sherman letter to the editor criticizing Allegheny County’s Home Rule form of government, ignores the fact that before taxes go up there will be a spirited debate with the 15-member County Council. Under Home Rule, Executive Sara Innamorato’s proposals are subject to Council’s scrutiny and approval.

In Washington County, there are presently few checks or balances on Sherman’s decision making. Janis votes with him without question. Maggi is denied information and input on important issues. The public is kept in the dark. It appears that the critical oversight, open debate, and full disclosure offered by a Home Rule form of government is exactly what Washington County needs.