After 27 years, Boyne City Police Chief Kevin Spate felt it was time to retire.
Spate recently announced his pending retirement at the end of September, after nearly seven years as police chief and another 20 in other roles within the Boyne City Police Department. He had served as assistant chief for several years when the city commission selected him to succeed longtime Chief Jeff Gaither, who retired in 2019.
The COVID-19 years proved challenging as several of the department’s administrators retired. There were other periods during Spate’s tenure as police chief when the city manager position was vacant, requiring more of his time. But Spate credits the hiring of Sam Demel as city manager last November with helping to stabilize the city government.
“I wanted to be available to help navigate the city through some tough times,” Spate said. “We’re in a great spot. I look forward to coming back in six months and seeing how (the police department) is doing even better under the new chief.”
Spate has formally recommended Boyne City Assistant Police Chief Dan Mercer for the role as part of a planned succession process. Demel will recommend a new police chief to the commission for approval, perhaps as early as this summer. The police chief position is now open to applicants through Aug. 20.
“You always want to see what you’ve helped build grow after you’re gone,” Spate said. “I hope that (Mercer) will be named, but it is up to the city manager. We’ll see if our plans coincide.”
A Boyne City resident, Spate plans to remain in the city with his wife, Jennifer, who is a teacher for Boyne City Public Schools. He doesn’t have any final retirement plans yet outside of continuing to serve on the ski patrol team for Boyne Mountain in the winter.
Spate, 50, has advocated for providing law enforcement officials with good benefits to help attract and retain highly qualified professionals.
During a May 2025 commission meeting, for example, Spate argued for restoring a defined-benefit retirement plan for Boyne City police officers. He told commissioners that even with hiring incentives, recruiting officers remained difficult and the city needed the benefit to retain its current officers and attract qualified candidates.
Spate’s tenure has included the expansion of police technology, including body cameras and a department drone, as well as efforts to recruit and retain officers and strengthen the department’s connection with the community.
“We’ve always had great support from the city manager, commission and the community,” Spate said.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Boyne City Police Chief Spate announces retirement
Reporting by M. Alan Scott, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By M. Alan Scott, The Petoskey News-Review | USA TODAY Network
