Hamilton County commissioners want to gauge how serious individual jurisdictions are about replacing outdated civil defense sirens before committing tax dollars to help.

        The sirens are part of a countywide network that sounds when severe weather approaches.

        Commissioner Todd Portune brought forward an idea Monday that could commit $2.6 million in county taxes to replacing 155 sirens that do not sound if storms knock out electricity. Mr. Portune's proposal also would spend $1.4 million to add 70 sirens to uncovered areas of the county.

        Commissioner Tom Neyer isn't ready to spend the money — yet. He asked Don Maccarone, director of the county's Emergency Management Agency, to write jurisdictions to see if they're interested in replacing their sirens.

        “We can't make the call for the jurisdictions,” Mr. Neyer said. “But we could reduce the cost for them.”

        Mr. Neyer suggested that the county could decide in six months and allow communities to opt into a “joint purchase program” if they're interested.

        Commissioner John Dowlin doesn't like the sound of that at all. Sirens, he says, have been the financial responsibility of individual communities as long as he can remember.

        “I'm against this,” Mr. Dowlin said. “At a time when (I'm) told revenues are going down, why would we want to accept something new?”

        Because it should be the county's responsibility, Mr. Portune replied.

        “In terms of public safety, you can't pinch pennies,” Mr. Portune said, adding that the county spends millions on development without a blink of the eye.

        “You don't have a countywide system that works unless you have a countywide system that is working,” Mr. Portune said. “We can at least find a way, with the county's participation, to make it more palatable.”

        Mr. Maccarone said about 15 percent of the county's residents are out of earshot of the sirens, which are designed to warn people outdoors but often are heard inside homes and wake people during storms.

        The county has sent letters in the past encouraging communities to upgrade their sirens, Mr. Maccarone said. “But it's time to redouble our efforts.”

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