10/26/2006

Voters asked to help pay for sheriff's deputies

BY BRIAN MCGILLIVARY

bmcgillivary@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Decisions made by voters in four Grand Traverse County townships next month may impact the level of county wide police services.

Voters in Green Lake, Peninsula, East Bay and Union townships face millage requests to pay for sheriff's deputies specifically assigned to their township. Should the proposals fail, some of the township boards may be forced to cut the positions.

"We have a great officer, but with budget cuts and other things, we can't afford to continue funding it out of the general fund," said Green Lake Township Supervisor Paul Biondo.

Township officials don't know where they'll find money to pay for the deputy without the millage, Biondo said.

The townships will pay the county almost $66,000 in 2007 for each sheriff's deputy assigned to their township. The charge covers salaries and benefits, with the county covering the cost of equipment and administration.

Sheriff Scott Fewins said the county is growing by almost 1,000 people each year and his department hasn't added a deputy in eight years.

"We have already decided if we lose one more (deputy), we are going to have to change the way we do business here," Fewins said.

One change proposed by Fewins is to stop taking reports for auto accidents on private property such as parking lots. He said state police have ceased doing private property reports, which account for about a third of all accidents in the county.

Fewins said deputies focus on areas of concern for the townships, but the real value is that residents get to know the officers. That familiarity helps investigations and can prevent crime, he said.

East Bay Township will take its second shot at convincing voters to increase property taxes by 0.31 mills for three years to retain two deputy positions funded through the general fund. The tax increase is estimated to raise $133,000 in its first year.

In Green Lake Township, an identical millage increase would raise about $71,000 a year, enough to pay for one officer.

Peninsula Township will ask voters to renew a 0.2 mill tax for four years that expired last year. It's estimated to raise $98,333 in the first year, but Township Treasurer David Weatherholt said the township won't need to levy the entire millage.

The 641 residents of Union Township will be asked to increase property taxes by 0.9 mills to raise an estimated $16,000 a year for the next five years for police service.