New three-year contract nearly $3 million dollars
By Barb Pert Templeton
A unanimous vote of the Algonac City Council had officials renewing their contract for police services with the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department.
The vote came during the council’s Sept. 3 meeting with the new contract approved to be in place from Oct. 1, 2024 through Sept. 30, 2027. The city has contracted with the sheriff’s department since 2012.
The agreement proposed the following contract costs:
- Oct. 1, 2024 – Sept. 30, 2025 – $938,082
- Oct. 1, 2025 – Sept. 30, 2026 – $962,510
- Oct. 1, 2026 – Sept. 30, 2027 – $983,626
The total cost for the three-year contract will be $2,884,218.
Councilman Michael Bembas made the motion to approve the contract and Councilwoman Dawn Davey seconded that motion.
St. Clair County Undersheriff James Spadafore answered questions at a recent Algonac City Council meeting.
Several council members took a few moments to comment on the sheriff’s services and pose a couple of questions.
“The St. Clair County Sheriff’s deputies are not politicians, these guys here do a great job and they should not be considered when we’re discussing who were going to vote for, for sheriff, these guys aren’t running,” Davey said.
“I agree with you 110%, I think the sheriff (department) has done a tremendous job for us, have saved us, over these years, a tremendous amount of money and have kept our citizens safe. I see no reason to belittle them by anybody and I see no reason to not use them,” Bembas said.
Councilman Dale Williams asked the mayor if City Manager Denice Gerstenberg could tell them how much the cost of fuel is for the year for the sheriff’s department. She replied that the sheriff was there to answer any questions.
Undersheriff Jim Spadafore stepped to the microphone and said the sheriff was away on a long-planned trip but he would be happy to answer any questions. He said the cost of fuel utilized each year by the department was something that was part of the city budget so he didn’t have that information.
Gerstenberg then told the council that the information would be something the city treasurer would have to provide to officials and she wasn’t present at the meeting.
Mayor Pro Tem Raymond Martin then commented that since the city opted to utilize the sheriff’s department for law enforcement instead of having their own city police department, they have improved their technology 100%.
He said the former police chief, through no fault of his own, had to make a decision about improving manpower or technology and he chose manpower.
“That was his priority and that was for our safety,” Martin said. “Along with picking up the coverage with the sheriff’s department we also increased our technology.”
Sheriff Spadafore said the department is very committed to technology law enforcement and it’s one of the top things and probably one of the more expensive things that they do. He said they just got an international service called Lexipol, a world-wide police and fire organization for public safety policy management.
“So, we get the best advice and best policies they have on the market now,” Spadafore said.
During the council comments portion of the meeting Councilman Ed Carter took a few moments to thank the sheriff’s department for their service to the city.
“We appreciate what you do for us, keeping us safe, you’ve got a great crew of guys and women deputies there,” Carter said.
Councilman Martin and Dale Williams also thanked the sheriff’s department for their service to the city.
