Sep 22, 2023 2 min read

Provide Walz with 911 documents

As reported in a recent Observer-Reporter story, “Washington County blocking North Strabane’s manager’s request for radio contract details,” I applaud Andrew Walz, who filed an open records request for information related to the county’s decision to award a $22 million, 911 radio service contract to Tait/MRA Inc./PMC Wireless.

In March, I objected to MRA’s $22 million bid to upgrade the county’s 911 system in opposition to my colleagues, Diana Irey Vaughan and Larry Maggi. I was deeply concerned that we were not listening to the safety board’s recommendations to go with another vendor. I followed their near-unanimous recommendation to go with the other vendor, Motorola. Members of the safety board were dismayed that we would select the same vendor as the current system. As we were told by a first responder at a public meeting, “Putting a Band-Aid on a broken system with the same vendor that built one is a disservice to our county.”

We do not want to waste taxpayer dollars on a 911 system that will not meet our current or future needs. Our emergency responders and municipalities have made it clear that they prefer Motorola. Motorola is the preferred vendor for most of the counties in Pennsylvania. We remain one of a few counties outside a statewide-connected communication network serviced by Motorola.

Stakeholders are now seeking documents to understand how Irey Vaughan and Maggi reached their decision in the face of severe scrutiny over the MRA contract.

As Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said over a century ago, “Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants,” preserving a principle of transparency as a cornerstone for open democracy and good governance. I have always strongly believed in a citizen’s right to know. The county should provide the requested documents to Walz and permit him access to the information he rightly deserves as a citizen. Let the sunshine in.

Nick Sherman

Washington

Sherman is a Washington

County commissioner.