County Ringing Up Larger Cellular Phone Bill Commissioners Question The Need For High Number Of Phones

Two years after an audit raised concerns about cellular phone use by Spokane County employees, the number of phones and the cost of using them is up significantly.

The county operated without portable phones until seven years ago. Now it has 199 of them, up from 122 in 1992.

The county’s cellular phone bill was $94,000 last year. It will be about $107,000 this year if use continues at its current pace, according to the county auditor’s office.

In 1992, the tab was $75,000, Auditor Bill Donahue reported two years ago.

His report caused some county officials to wonder whether the phones were being abused. In the report, Donahue suggested the county write a policy for their use.

“Nothing’s been written since then,” he said Tuesday.

County commissioners questioned Tuesday whether the county needs as many phones as it has.

“I think they’re toys and I think we have to start cracking down,” said Commissioner Phil Harris. “We can buy pagers for $20 apiece brand-spanking new.”

Most cellular phone calls during business hours cost the county 28 cents a minute. US West Cellular and Cellular One also charge the county a $7.95 monthly service charge for most phones.

A recent survey by county Administrator Jim Lindow shows that many employees seldom use their phones, costing the county less than $10 a month, not counting the service charge. Others rack up hundreds of dollars in bills each month.

The sheriff’s department, which has far more cellular phones than any other, did not report the monthly average for each one.

Commissioners noted that the biggest monthly average reported was $385, for a phone assigned to Vern Jarvis, who oversees maintenance workers in the utilities department.

Jarvis could not be reached at his office Tuesday afternoon.

“He (Jarvis) is typically out in the field all day long,” said public works Director Dennis Scott, who hadn’t seen the report.

“I’ve got to guess that he’s taking calls from businesses or other inspectors asking questions about problems they’ve encountered.”

Scott, who answered questions via his county-issued cellular phone as he was driving to a meeting in the Valley, said the phones are a time- and money-saver and make employees more responsive to county residents.

“If I didn’t call you on this phone, I wouldn’t get you until tomorrow,” he said.

Scott said that while there is no formal policy, he asks his employees to keep their calls as short as possible. Personal calls are forbidden, he said.

“We don’t have a problem with an employee calling home and saying ‘I’m (working) late. Don’t worry,”’ Scott said.