Atlas Twp.- Funding for township public safety may be a little more costly this fall.
The township established a contract with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department about 14 years ago, funded by 1 mill from area property owners. The millage was increased in 2005 by a special assessment of $50 for every improved lot and $25 for unimproved lots, which is set to expire this September.
The special assessment will be discussed at 6:30 p.m., Aug. 17 before the regular township meeting.
Currently, the 1 mill generates $330,000, while the special assessment garners $162,679 per year. The contract for the sheriff’s department, which includes four deputies assigned to the township area with a population of about 7,200, costs about $502,000 per year to fund.
In November 2008, area voters approved a 1 mill renewal for the next five years for police protection. A resident with a $200,000 home will continue to pay $100 per year for the service from the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department, in addition to the special assessment.
Township records indicate the sheriff’s department has increased the cost of the contract by about 30 percent since 2001. The contract covers vehicles, detectives and administration. Township officials are also concerned that a decline in property values of about $50 million, which equates into a $50,000 decline in local revenues, may impact the upcoming budget.
Last year the deputies? contract included a 4 percent wage increase, and the county also tacked on a 2.5 percent post-retirement fee. This year an intergovernmental service fee of $8,025 for the accounting staff is added onto the contract, which covers November 2008 though October 2009. The contract with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department increases about 9 percent to $476,700. Additional costs have pushed contract expenses even higher.
James Gage, Genesee County Undersheriff, said several factors will impact the 2010 sheriff contract.
The cost of the four township deputies will remain the same until January 2010, three months into the township contract, when they will receive a 2.5 percent pay hike. The next pay change will not occur until June 2011, added Gage.
‘Another issue will be the cost of a detective-sergeant, which currently Fenton and Atlas townships receive as a service, and which Vienna Township, who also has a contract with the sheriff department, is charged,? said Gage.
The function of the position, adds Gage, includes processing the warrants after a deputy makes an arrest and serves as the officer in charge of the case.
Gage is considering splitting the $130,000 position between Fenton Township (60 percent) and the township (40 percent).
‘Keep in mind the government’s number one priority is to keep the people safe. The sheriff’s department, like the township, is also suffering with less funding.?