In order to maintain the current staffing level at Addison Oakland County Sheriff’s substation, township officials will ask voters to renew a 3.5-mill property tax in the August election.
So as not to confuse voters, the township’s two police millages ? both of which expired Dec. 31, 2005 ? would be combined into one proposal.
Treasurer Dan Alberty said how long the new millage would run for has not been decided yet, but officials are looking at between 10 and 20 years, ‘whatever’s legal.?
Voters originally approved 2.5 mills for police services in 1986 and 1 mill in August 2002 to increase staffing from five to six deputies.
Headlee Amendment rollbacks reduced these rates to 1.9393 mill and 0.9357 mill respectively in their final levies last year.
Should voters approve the millage renewal in August, Alberty said the township would only levy enough of the 3.5 mills to cover the sheriff’s contract. ‘We won’t levy the full amount unless it’s absolutely necessary.?
Addison currently pays $884,832.70 for contract services with the sheriff’s department and if the millages are renewed, services will remain the same, according to Sgt. Pete Burkett
Addison has been contracting with the sheriff’s department for more than 30 years, which Burkett said is ‘one of the longest standing contracts? for law enforcement in Oakland County.
Burkett said the two separate millages with their six deputies allow Addison to have protection 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Presently, the substation operates with six deputies, one detective/sergeant and one shared patrol sergeant.
‘Prior to that, working with five deputies, there were four midnight shifts a week that we had no coverage whatsoever,? he said. ‘The addition of the sixth deputy was paramount to the safety of the citizens of Addison Township.?
‘Any decrease in the current staffing levels will have a definite negative effect on public safety,? Burkett noted.
In addition to the six contracteddeputies, Addison also benefits from the sheriff’s Special Response Team, K-9 unit, two helicopters, marine and reserve units and technical services through a crime lab.
‘We’re offering the township a lot and I feel that we’ve done a very good job,? he said.
In the event a funding overage occurs, Burkett proposed the money be used to hire an additional deputy to work the 7 p.m.-3 a.m. shift, one of the ‘busiest time periods for police calls.?
Burkett noted that the ‘ideal coverage for the safety? of both deputies and residents is two deputies assigned to each shift, seven days a week. In order to have two deputies on patrol during all three shifts every day, the sergeant said Addison would require a ‘minimum? of nine deputies.