Twelve Communities to See Increased Cost for OCSO Patrol Services
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 24, 2024)
Oakland County, MI – A dozen municipalities that contract with Oakland County Sheriff’s Office for local policing services will be seeing a cost increase in the new year.
The Standard Law Enforcement Services Agreement Rates were adopted by the Oakland County Commission at the Nov. 21, 2024 meeting.
The Townships of Addison, Brandon, Commerce, Highland, Independence, Lyon, Oakland, Orion, Oxford and Springfield, plus the Cities of Pontiac and Rochester Hills can contract for services up to three years, with an increase of up to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus 6% each year. The first year this will mean about a 15% increase, which starts Jan. 1.
The Board also approved increased rates for OCSO overtime services, used by multiple communities for emergencies and for special events such as the Woodward Dream Cruise and Arts, Beats & Eats.
The increase is due to rising costs of police services. According to Chairperson Dave Woodward, the increase is large in the first year because contracts in past years had been lower than the actual cost of providing service.
Officials from some of the impacted communities attended the meeting, with some speaking during the public comment portion of the meeting.
Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett had several issues with the proposed increase, including that communities were not given enough information and notice to plan. He also accused the Board of “playing politics with our public safety.”
“The Chair stated this is a 15 year problem. You did a study 18 months ago. But somehow you waited until after the election, when 10 of the 12 municipalities, including the City of Pontiac, have calendar year budgets.
“We start a new budget on Jan. 1. None of us budgeted for a 15% or 36 1/2% increase over three years. No email. No snail mail. No phone calls. We found out about it through whispers, rumor, and innuendo… This stinks. This is not a partnership.”
Barnett also said that 10 of the 12 communities would have to fund a special election to ask residents for more money, where if they had known sooner they could have put the matter on the ballot this year.
Oxford Township Supervisor Jack Curtis also spoke, telling the Board that “we budget our funds to the penny.” In August Oxford voters approved a dedicated police services millage, that includes a $650,000 investment to the OCSO substation. The community experienced firsthand the necessity for police services, and the potential for unexpected costs following the Nov. 30, 2021 shooting at Oxford High School. Even with the forethought of a millage, the increase will be tough.
“We understand the rates of everything are going up, but if we have to take a drink let’s not be from a fire hose. Let’s spread this stuff out,” he said.
Commissioners took a break in the middle of the meeting to discuss proposed amendments in their respective caucuses.
Michael Spisz is the Commissioner for District 5 which represents Addison, Oxford, and Rochester plus portions of Oakland Township and Rochester Hills. He’s also the Minority Caucus Chair for the Republicans. He introduced an amendment that would reduce the amount of the increase to 3% annually, stating that “our CVT’s [Cities, Villages, and Townships] have worked with us for decades. We need to somehow ease that burden.”
Spisz also said the board needs to “consider the pain and suffering you’re putting on these communities.”
Commissioner Mike Gingel, who represents District 6 – which includes Orion Township and parts of Oakland Township and Rochester Hills also compared the hike to a fire hose flowing with full force, urging the Board not to make the municipalities swallow all of it at once.
He added that “Law enforcement is one I think we should ensure has continuity and consistency.”
Democrat Kristin Nelson, who represents Keego Harbor and Sylvan Lake as well as portions of Waterford, West Bloomfield, and Pontiac, agreed with taking a more gradual approach. Pontiac uses OSCO patrol services, and among the communities that do, will face that largest struggle to fund the increase. Nelson said she wants to ensure that “no community is faced with decrease in services.”
Chairperson Dave Woodward urged commissioners to vote against amendments that would reduce the cost of the contract.
“It is very important that the cost of the service is the true cost, and those who take advantage to use that service, appropriately so, pay the full cost of that service,” he said.
Later Woodward said “If it doesn’t cover the full cost of the service, it is financially irresponsible.”
He noted that cities and villages with their own police force have already been dealing with increased policing costs. Several communities have had votes for dedicated public safety funding in recent years.
“Save me the scare tactics,” Woodward said. “This is what the cost is.
“Other communities who don’t use the Sheriff patrol services have had to raise revenue and pay for their cops. And this is the cost that’s necessary to pay the salaries that we do, the equipment that we do, all the training and the things necessary to support it.”
“We’ve heard people say they want to pay their fair share. The fair share is what it costs, nothing more nothing less,” Woodward said.
He countered concerns of over-reaching by stating that “by law we can only charge the true cost.”
The first amendment failed, as did a second that also reduced the amount of the increase. A third amendment, which passed, gives municipalities the option of spreading the increase out over the three years, allowing for an annual review of costs, and giving communities a rebate if the costs of services were less than what had been paid for.
The Commission voted 12-7 to adopt the rates. The increase to overtime rates was also approved.
Learn more about the Oakland County Board of Commissioners at https://www.oakgov.com/government/board-of-commissioners/commissioners
