UPDATED POST 15:37
Oakland County commissioners today overwhelmingly rejected a proposal for the sheriff’s office to takeover policing in Pontiac.
The city of Pontiac’s state appointed financial manager proposed shutting down the city’s police department and replacing the officers with sheriff’s deputies as a way to save money for the cash strapped city. The city of Pontiac has a projected budget deficit of 9 million dollars.
But a series of amendments tacked on to the contract between the city and county doomed it. Oakland County executive L. Brook Patterson issued a press release afterward accusing Democrats on the commission of killing the contract vote.
The city is expected to bring the issue back to the Oakland County Commission next month, when the balance of power on the commission shifts to the Republicans.
The city’s public safety unions oppose bringing in the sheriff’s department, but Pontiac’s mayor says the shrunken department can not adequately protect the city.
ORIGINAL POST 14:11pm
Oakland County commissioners overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to have county sheriff's deputies takeover policing duties in the city of Pontiac. The financially troubled city was looking at shutting down its police department to save money.
By STEPHEN FRYE
Of The Oakland Press
The Oakland County Board of Commissioners has rejected a contract for the sheriff's office to take over police and dispatch services for Pontiac.
Mayor Leon Jukowski said it appears it was "all politics," saying it will come back in January without negotatiated contracts. Amendments to the proposal seem to be what doomed it this month.
Oakland County executive L. Brooks Patterson issued a blistering statement after the vote:
Statement from Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson
Regarding Sheriff Contract vote:
Pontiac, MI, December 9, 2010 – “Commissioner Tim Greimel, who represents part of the city of Pontiac, introduced amendments today that killed the Sheriff’s contract vote. The Democrats on the Board of Commissioners must be proud of themselves; they’ve put all the residents of Pontiac at risk. What the hell were they thinking?”
