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Commissioners discuss sheriff—ffort to scale back township policing contracts; legal review requested
Summary
Board members expressed concern after reports that the sheriff planned to end or reduce several township policing contracts; commissioners asked legal staff to review whether the sheriff has unilateral authority to terminate contracts funded by township millages.
Montcalm County commissioners spent a substantial portion of their March 24 meeting discussing recent moves by the sheriff to end or reduce policing contracts with townships and villages, and they asked county legal counsel to review whether the sheriff can unilaterally terminate those agreements.
Commissioners said they had received public reports and emails indicating the sheriff informed several townships — including Crystal Township and Howard City — that contract policing levels would be cut or eliminated. Several commissioners described the contracts as tied to local millages that fund increased patrol hours and said removing contracted patrols could leave residents with less of the policing they paid for.
Commissioner Johnston and others said the contracts they reviewed appear to be agreements between townships and the county sheriff’s office and typically include termination provisions, but the board questioned whether the sheriff had the authority to cancel or materially alter service levels without board involvement. Controller Brenda (surname not provided) confirmed she had asked the county attorney for an opinion and was awaiting a written response.
Commissioners said some townships reported receiving an ultimatum of options that would deliver lower service levels than the contracted 40 hours per week; one commissioner said Howard City had chosen to cancel the contract after being offered options the township did not consider acceptable. Commissioners also said the sheriff’s office has approximately $2.5 million in fund balance and that the millage resources were intended to support additional deputies.
The board directed staff to obtain legal guidance and to return with options for next steps at a future meeting. Several commissioners said they were concerned about the optics and the impact on rural residents who bought into contracts to secure greater patrol presence.
No formal motion to reverse any contract was made at the meeting; commissioners said they would wait for a legal opinion and then consider possible remedies or communications with affected townships.
