Washtenaw County commissioners to consider recommendation on police protection price
What should Washtenaw County charge contracting municipalities for police protection?
That question, along with how much providing a Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office deputy costs the county, has been debated for decades.
A new figure recently determined and approved by the county board’s Police Services Steering Committee suggests a price to charge contracting jurisdictions per "police services unit," or PSU, of $150,594.
Next, the Steering Committee will take the recommendation to the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners for consideration.
The issue passed through the board’s Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday without discussion and now heads to the full board for a vote next month. Board Chairman Conan Smith, D-Ann Arbor, said he wasn't sure if there'd be much discussion on it.
Sheriff Jerry Clayton declined to comment when contacted by AnnArbor.com, but explained how officials arrived at the price and the rationale in a memo to commissioners. The memo was from Sheriff Clayton through County Administrator Verna McDaniel.
"The approach taken by the Sheriff’s Office and the PSSC financial subcommittee was that of 'shared sacrifice' in arriving at a four year price projection metrics that would provide predictability, fairness, and maximize public safety services to the residents of Washtenaw County," McDaniel wrote.
In November, the Steering Committee determined the cost of a PSU is $176,108, a figure the commissioners subsequently approved. A PSU roughly translates into one deputy position and the associated costs of training, supervision and other factors.
The Steering Committee is composed of elected and police officials from across the county, county commissioners and Clayton’s administration. The committee arrived at the $176,108 cost of policing after the Steering Committee’s financial subcommittee analyzed the sheriff's budget line-by-line.
The financial subcommittee — which is composed of police officials, a representative from the county’s budget office and Sheriff’s Office officials — was also charged with the task of determining a price to recommend to the Steering Committee and commissioners.
Ann Arbor Township Supervisor Mike Moran, who is on the subcommittee, said the figure was decided on because it's what townships currently pay, and that figure includes a variety of costs associated with providing a PSU.
The $150,594 per PSU would remain in effect in 2011, and jurisdictions would see a zero percent increase in 2012, followed by a 1 percent increase each year from 2013 to 2015. At the end of the period, the PSU price would be $155,157.
The Sheriff's Office would use its budget to cover the roughly $25,000 per PSU difference in cost and price.
Other factors, such as contract negotiations, changes in overtime or an increase in the consumer price index could cause the PSU price to rise, though those details have yet to be worked out. The ultimate goal, however, is to stabilize the price so jurisdictions can plan long term.
Currently, contracts between the county and jurisdictions last two years. That could be changed to four-year “rolling contracts” under which the contracts are amended every two years to include another two years.
Some commissioners and those involved in the discussion have argued the current price of $150,594 per PSU is far too low, while some contracting jurisdictions contend it's too high.
Commissioner Wes Prater said the $25,000 difference for which the county would pay through the Sheriff Office’s budget is fair because the Sheriff’s Office has a constitutional obligation to provide a certain level of service in the county. But he acknowledged that point has been disputed by other commissioners.
“There’s a certain amount of responsibility and mandated services to provide when a citizen calls,” he said. “The department does have a responsibility to provide at least a minimum amount of service to citizens throughout Washtenaw County, and for these communities with or without contracts.
“To me, it looks like with Ann Arbor doing the things they’re doing with public safety, they are going to need a lot of help there. “
Tom Perkins is a freelance reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.
Comments
StrongFire
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 2:25 a.m.
Commissioner Prater is wrong. Otherwise how do you explain that the Michigan State Police rather than the Sheriff's Department are the first responders in townships like Sylvan, Lima, Sharon, Freedom, etc. who do not contract for police services? For all intents and purposes, the Sheriff Department doesn't exist in those areas of the county.
Mick52
Sat, Jun 4, 2011 : 2:17 p.m.
I think the Michigan Constitution should be changed so that sheriffs are not elected. Every police chief in the country is hired by the local unit of government, not elected. Election of sheriffs is purely historical, going back to English tradition. There is no reason to elect sheriffs as opposed to hiring and political bickering would be reduced.
Steve Hendel
Sat, Jun 4, 2011 : 5:03 p.m.
Agreed. There is no good reason to elect a law enforcement official, who is in the end responsible for enforcing the people's law, not making it. There have been Washtenaw County Sheriffs in the past who didn't know the difference. While we're at it, I think we also elect several other County (administrative) officers, for some reason lost in the sands of time).
Mr. Ed
Sat, Jun 4, 2011 : 4:34 p.m.
Mick52 the elected Sheriff is the only true Law Enforcement for the people by the people. The Sheriff is responsible to the people. The Police Chief is responsible to the City Board.
xmo
Sat, Jun 4, 2011 : 1:50 p.m.
So for each police rental unit the cost is $175,000? I assume this includes car, weapons pay etc. Maybe the county should consider doing what the private sector has done: have a tier 2 option. Get some new police officers that you pay 1/2 the pay has the old police officers and equipment them a little lighter. Of course, they could not handle every situation but they could provide a cost effected presence for most of the time. i.e. GM, Ford, AT&T hired new workers that get less pay and benefits then the grandfathered employees.
Dos
Sat, Jun 4, 2011 : 11:32 p.m.
I would rather have experienced officers protecting me in todays world, not rookies (no offense, you have to learn too). The making of a car is soooooooooooo different than a life.
DonBee
Sat, Jun 4, 2011 : 1:04 p.m.
Steve Hendel - You are right and wrong. The state constitution has no requirement for anything but the Sheriff being elected in each county. The duties are reserved to statute. Section Section 51.76 of laws of the state of Michigan lay out the duties of the Sheriff. They include: (a) Patrolling and monitoring traffic violations. (b) Enforcing the criminal laws of this state, violations of which are observed by or brought to the attention of the sheriff's department while providing the patrolling and monitoring required by this subsection. (c) Investigating accidents involving motor vehicles. (d) Providing emergency assistance to persons on or near a highway or road patrolled and monitored as required by this subsection. Section 51.75 covers the county jail. It also is NOT in the constitution. The county ignored section 51.76 when they decided to bill the townships for the sheriff's department road patrols. So far they have been lucky with court cases. I suspect if private citizens filed against the county board and sheriff, that they might get a different result than the township officials are getting. The right answer all along has been to go to ONE county wide police force, folding all the units in the county into one department. But, that will never happen.
DonBee
Sat, Jun 4, 2011 : 8:31 p.m.
Mick52 - Section 51.76 does not specify that limit. AND the townships to a large extent did not have their own forces.
Steve Hendel
Sat, Jun 4, 2011 : 4:54 p.m.
Ok thanks for the clarification, and amen to the idea of a county-wide police department
Mick52
Sat, Jun 4, 2011 : 2:18 p.m.
Unless there is a local unit of government with a police department. SDs only are required by this law to patrol/enforce where there is no local dept.
miller lite
Sat, Jun 4, 2011 : 12:09 p.m.
Hey if anyone can be a teacher then anyone can be a police officer, and we can pay next to nothing for police services.Police and fire need to be paid for first with taxes collected, not last or second to it.
Steve Hendel
Sat, Jun 4, 2011 : 11:38 a.m.
As far as I know, the County Sheriff is NOT constitutionally required to provide ANY police protection to the governmental units within it's borders; it's major legal responsibility is the maintenance of the County jail. As an Ann Arbor resident, I frankly resent my (County) taxes paying @ $25,000 per year for each deputy contracted to a township in addition to (City taxes) the full cost of the Ann Arbor Police Department. Why should I subsidize the "low township taxes" Realtors like to trumpet? The discussion we really ought to be having is whether or not it makes sense to consolidate some if not all of the County police departments. Letting everyone pay the same rate is, ultimately, as fair as you can get
Boo Radley
Sat, Jun 4, 2011 : 2:14 p.m.
As a township resident, I resent my taxes paying for a homeless shelter in the City of Ann Arbor and for other social services for city residents. I also pay for my share of the maintenance of the County Jail, whose residents are primarily from Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti City and Township. If I pay a disproportionate share of jail services, it is only fair that I receive some patrol service in return. But ... your argument has no merit in other ways ... I no longer have any children in school, So why should I pay school taxes? Tax burdens just do not work the way you suggest.