Sheriff’s millage leaning toward ‘no’ at 1 a.m.
An Isabella County Sheriff police cruiser sits parked outside the Isabella County Jail at 207 Court St. in this March 2021 file photo. Sheriff's road patrol deputies are not considered mandatory employees in Isabella County and so were facing elimination following a Feb. 27 vote against a millage increase. However, this spring the county Board of Commissioners directed staff to find roughly $515,000 to keep deputies on the road through the end of the calendar year. (CM Life photo | Michael Livingston | file)
The Sheriff’s millage on the budget is too close to call yet. However it is currently leaning toward ‘No’ on a voter percentage of 57.37% to 42.63% as of 1 a.m. Wednesday. Mount Pleasant precincts have not reported and some are partially reported.
One bubble on Isabella County's ballot had the power to keep or cancel the funding for 22 law enforcement staff who currently work at the Isabella County Sheriff’s Department: The new millage that would raise the housing tax by $1.45 per every $1,000 of assessed taxable value. The tax would cost the owner of a $100,000 taxable valued home $145 per year.
In an interview on Nov. 4, Sheriff Michael Main said it was “scary” to think about losing the road patrol in Isabella County. He said that it's concerning for two reasons:
- In Macomb County, people voted down a millage and lost their road patrol. They had increased crime and speeding because no one was patrolling the streets.
- When Macomb County tried to change its mind and reinstate a millage, they struggled to hire and train new law enforcement. Main listed specialties such as: forensic investigators, emergency service, the SWOT (Specialized Weapons and Tactics) team, and trainers for specialties like the use of force and tasers. Sheriff Main said it is expensive and time-consuming to hire and train people for these and other positions.
“There are classes that are expensive and you have to take time off patrol and train them in all that," he said.
What did voters say about the millage on Nov. 5?
voter Cliff Willis said lives in town with his wife, Char.
“No," Willis said. "I pay enough taxes, I pay too much taxes,” “They should get rid of some administration, (get) more patrolmen.
Joe Purdey exited the polls having voted "Yes" on the millage.
"I’m no police officer myself,” Purdey said. “I've been in the shadows a lot but some of the things hanging out in the shadows these days need someone going after (them) and if that costs a little extra so be it."
Voter Laurie Richards, an elementary school teacher, said that the millage shouldn’t be too contested. She said the presidential election would be the most debated.
“Hope it’s a clear victory, not as contentious this year,” Purdey said.
According to the Mount Pleasant Police Department website, the Nov. 5 Sheriff’s Office millage vote would provide essential funding for:
- Maintaining Current Services: Supporting patrols, investigations, crime prevention efforts, and community notifications.
- Recruiting and Retaining Staff: Recruiting staff is costly (background checks, onboarding, training, etc) and so is maintaining a highly trained, stable workforce.
If the millage doesn’t pass, all deputies working for the county department, which includes road patrol, the sergeants and the detectives will definitely be cut, said Main on Nov. 4. He said they don’t have the funding in the bank to keep them past Dec. 21 if the millage is voted down.
