DELTA TWP. – Township officials reached a tentative agreement on June 5 with Eaton County to maintain police services for its more than 33,000 residents.
The proposed deal comes at a steep cost to the township, and about a month after county voters rejected a 2-mill tax increase on May 6 for sheriff’s deputies and road patrol, as well as animal control and other services. The county sheriff’s office’s road patrol in rural areas as well as in Delta, Windsor and Oneida Townships, where cost-sharing contracts were in place, had been at risk since.
Delta Township, the county’s largest municipality, has contracted with the sheriff’s office for police services for decades. It pays approximately $4.4 million, with Eaton County paying the remaining roughly $1.46 million, under a deal that ends in September.
The possible elimination of road patrols by the sheriff’s office has drawn the attention of officials across the region, and many raised concerns that Michigan State Police would have to pick up the slack while lessening the presence of troopers in Ingham and Clinton counties.
In the days after the millage failed, county officials were blunt that it was unlikely a new deal could be reached as Eaton County grappled with a major budget deficit. Delta officials were more optimistic and pushed for a new deal.
Officials on June 5, however, agreed to a tentative deal that would preserve local police services in the township, at a cost of $8 million annually. The 10-year agreement has a three-year option for either to opt out.
It’s unclear what the future holds for patrols in Oneida, Windsor and the rest of Eaton County.
Eaton County Board of Commissioners Chairperson Jim Mott said the framework ensures the county keeps the infrastructure in the sheriff’s office so out-county patrols could be restored in the future.
“It’s there,” he said at Thursday’s meeting. “We can build on it. If we don’t have the sheriff’s department or this contract, more than likely, there will never ever be another road patrol. From my perspective, I think that’s a plus but it doesn’t come without challenges.”
Tentative deal aimed in part at stopping loss of deputies
The urgency to resolve the contract’s future was in part driven by concerns county deputies would leave their positions for more stable jobs. Some already have. Six deputies resigned from the Eaton County Sheriff’s Office in the last month, County Communications Director Logan Bailey told the State Journal.
Both the county and the township approved the tentative deal’s framework in separate afternoon meetings on June 5. A final agreement and its language still needs to be finalized by both the county and the township.
The contract framework includes 40 positions in Delta, five of which are additional to what exists now, and includes command staff. Two deputies would be funded by a grant and an additional deputy would be dedicated to the violent crimes unit, a multi-agency operation.
The cost to the township includes a 15% fee to cover administrative costs. Just over 30% of those fees will go to the retirement liability of the county, according to county documents.
“The County/Township will reconcile costs at the end of each year for any credits/extra costs of personnel, supplies and equipment,” according to a memo from County Controller Connie Sobie to the commission.
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Budget challenges remain
The agreement, as it stands, doesn’t include county Animal Control. It’s unclear what will happen to that agency. Ingham County Animal Control officials have raised concerns over a possible influx of strays and other issues if Eaton County abandons its animal control operations.
“This contract represents a new way of doing business for the County but is a necessary change in order to preserve and protect police services in the Township and help stabilize the County’s long-term financial stability,” Sobie said in her memo.
The township stands to pay double what it was for police service but its residents want adequate police protection, Delta Township board Treasurer Dennis Fedewa said in a statement.
“This creates a structural deficit for the township because it cannot absorb these costs without additional revenue,” he said. “While the Board will need to decide how to address the revenue shortfall, we recognize the steadfast support our residents have shown for maintaining a strong, public safety presence in Delta Township.”
The township is being assessed nearly $13 million for the reconstruction of the Bank Intercounty Drain.
The failure of May’s tax proposal, which came six months after a 3-mill proposal for general funding failed in November, 2024, has put the county in a financial crisis.
County officials face steep cuts to balance the county’s budget. On May 30, commissioners were going line-by-line through portions of the budget looking for several million dollars in cuts in the approximately $49 million annual spending plan.
Sheriff’s office patrols outside Delta Township are still on the chopping block. As are contractual patrols in Oneida and Windsor townships. There are more than 70 officers at the Sheriff’s Office, including 27 assigned to Delta Township. The sheriff’s office has already cut some patrols in out-county areas outside Delta Township.
Law enforcement officials in neighboring counties have said if patrols there end, it will impact the entire Lansing region.
The State Police post in Windsor Township will have fewer resources to allocate in Ingham and Clinton counties if it’s the only agency responding to calls from Eaton County’s out-county areas, Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth has said.
There is a shortage across Michigan and elsewhere of police officers.
In the weeks after Eaton County voters rejected the public safety tax, the East Lansing, Lansing and Bath Township police departments all posted recruiting notices to social media. So did the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office. Some are openly recruiting lateral police officers, or those who already have experience with another department, as opposed to being a new recruit from an academy.
In a statement, Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tim Daman said the tentative deal ensures the township remains “a safe and vibrant place to live, work, and do business.”
“This is a positive and important development for Delta Township and Eaton County,” he said. “Maintaining strong public safety services is essential to ensuring the stability of our communities and the confidence of residents, businesses, and future investors.”
Contact Reporter Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on X @GrecoatLSJ.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Delta Township, Eaton County reach tentative deal to keep police on streets
Reporting by Rachel Greco, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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