KINGMAN, Ariz. (AP) - Mohave County is considering axing its longtime television improvement district in a digital age, county board supervisors said last week.
The TV district doesn’t hold the same value it did a decade ago, Supervisor Hildy Anguis said. The district was established in 1983 to improve TV service in rural areas with spotty reception. But now, more people are tuning into digital television. According to state law, a television improvement district can be dismantled if its board of directors finds it no longer is needed to promote public interest or necessity.
“Technology is changing, so this is a good opportunity to start this discussion,” Anguis said.
Residents pay a fee that comes out to about $3 a year for each land parcel. The fee goes toward a district fund which, at its height, amassed a surplus of $8.8 million. The funds have been used for tasks such as building a new county jail. Today, the fund’s balance is $3.3 million. Anguis thinks the district should either be disbanded or become privatized, the Kingman Daily Miner reported (https://bit.ly/1Gx7uSC ).
State Mine Inspector Joe Hart, who also owns a low-power local TV station, said the district still maintains a bank of antennas that broadcasts signals to remote communities such as Golden Valley and Wikieup.
Residents such as David Brusby have spoken out against getting rid of the district. Brusby calls it the “best-kept secret in Mohave County,” crediting it for allowing him to enjoy free TV over the years.
But others feel it’s not worth to keep it running for a waning viewership.
“Why should the county supplement TV for a minute number of people? I think the money could be best used for all residents of the community, rather than a select few,” said Butch Meriwether.
Anguis said nobody has accurately measured how many people actually are served by the TV district. But the system costs between $300,000 and $400,000 to maintain.
“If nothing else, we can always put it back on the ballot and see how much people really want to pay for this,” Anguis said.
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Information from: Kingman Daily Miner, https://www.kingmandailyminer.com
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