Washtenaw County committee says true cost of sheriff's deputy is $176,108
What's the true cost of a Washtenaw County sheriff's deputy? The answer to that question has been hotly debated for more than a decade by the county Board of Commissioners and the municipalities that contract for police services from the county.
Now, the county board's Police Services Steering Committee says it has the answer: $176,108.
That's about $32,000 more than municipalities are currently paying per "police services unit" or PSU, which roughly translates into one deputy position and the associated costs of training, supervision and other factors.
The Police Services Steering Committee, made up of elected and police officials from across the county, county commissioners and Sheriff Jerry Clayton, arrived at that figure after analyzing the Sheriff's Department's budget line-by-line.
The current price per PSU is roughly $144,000, without including up to $10,000 in overtime costs jurisdictions pay per deputy.
But whether the county Board of Commissioners adopts the $176,108 figure and charges contracting entities that amount remains to be seen. The committee's recommendation will need to be approved by the county board, which sets the per-PSU cost.
Commissioners have argued the current price of $144,000 is far too low, while some contracting jurisdictions have said it's too high.
Officials hope the current cost analysis will bring an end to the long debate over the price of contracting with the Sheriff's Department. The recommendation goes before the Ways and Means Commission on Nov. 17, though no action is likely to be taken this year.
Clayton is also pushing for four-year contracts to bring more stability. He said clauses to account for any cost increases such as wages could be built into the contract.
Currently, 74 deputies are contracted for by townships, villages and school districts. By far the largest contracting entity is Ypsilanti Township, which is currently exploring forming a new police department with the city of Ypsilanti instead of contracting with the county.
The committee's analysis was broken down into direct costs, indirect costs and overhead. Close to 100 percent of direct costs, such as wages and benefits, were included in the PSU cost.
The per PSU indirect costs and some overhead were determined by taking the budget for a line item and dividing it by the 74-deputy figure, which doesn't include command staff. The total direct, indirect and overhead costs accounted for roughly $18.6 million of the department’s $21 million budget for police services. Jail operations are a separate budget.
Some commissioners questioned the $2.5 million gap between the two figures. Clayton said those are costs beyond contracting that his agency is legally required to provide. Those include 12 road patrol or “general fund” deputies, the detective bureau, animal control, the SWAT team, marine safety and other services.
Sheriff Jerry Clayton is among several county officials to tackle the topic of contracted policing costs.
Several commissioners argued those road patrol deputies, as well as the detective bureau, should be included in the cost analysis — which would push up the PSU price.
Factored into the direct costs is the average deputy’s salary and benefits, which are listed as $74,302 and $45,278, respectively. Other direct costs include uniform allowance, gun allowance and patrol cars. The direct costs total $135,258 of the recommended $176,108.
Indirect costs account for another $33,326 per PSU. The more significant of those costs include central dispatch, liability insurance, support staff costs, general supplies and information and technology systems.
The Police Services Steering Committee recommended the cost also include $7,524 per PSU in overhead expenses, which makes up part of the sheriff’s administration costs. The county board would also pick up retirement, the county’s Cost Allocation Plan and non-patrol central dispatch, totaling $6.4 million.
Commissioner Jeff Irwin pointed out that means the county would fund roughly 94 percent of the overhead costs, which speaks to the county’s commitment to public safety.
“I wanted to get out in front of that and say 'Look at the raw numbers — we’re putting a lot of resources into public safety and into the sheriff’s office,'” he said. “If we were to go with this scenario, the county would be paying a large share of what is being characterized as overhead.”
Clayton said the Sheriffs Department plays an integral role in public safety throughout the county, even in municipalities with their own police departments. He said no other agency has countywide jurisdiction, so deputies provide mutual aid and back-up to each department.
Irwin and Commissioner Leah Gunn argued the 12 road patrol deputies and detective bureau should be included in the cost analysis.
Clayton said the Sheriff’s Department is mandated by state law to have a detective bureau and road patrol to respond to calls and investigate crimes. Therefore, he said, those costs shouldn't be passed on to the contracting jurisdictions.
“I would argue that in there is language that requires the Sheriff’s Office to respond to calls,” he said. “It doesn’t talk about timeliness of the response, but there is language that says you have to investigate calls, and you cannot do that without some kind of road patrol staff.”
Ann Arbor Township Supervisor Mike Moran, who serves on the committee, said the objective was to determine the cost of putting a patrol deputy on the road, not the secondary costs associated with the county’s contributions to public safety.
“For example, I think that pointing out the cost of the detective bureau is valid in the discussion of 'What is the county’s overall contribution?' but it’s not valid in terms of the cost of putting a patrol deputy on the road, which was our only charge,” he said. “You’ll still have those costs whether there are 74 deputies or 50 deputies or 20 deputies or no deputies.”
Irwin said he's in favor of providing general fund road patrol, but wanted that cost reflected in the analysis. He also said the detective bureau should be considered as an indirect cost because the contract deputies' policing determines the detectives' workload.
He and Gunn disagreed with Clayton that those services are state-mandated.
“The lion’s share of their time is spent specifically serving to the need of those communities that are contracting with the county,” he said. “There is a relationship between the number of contract deputies and the number of detectives required to handle the investigation generated by those deputies.”
Commissioner Conan Smith said he found the overhead costs to be fair and suggested putting a fee on the services of the detective bureau. He also suggested the county offer a four-year contracting cycle aligned with the county’s budgeting process instead of four-year contracts with different jurisdictions that start and end at different times.
Several commissioners said many questions remain unanswered and argued the issue should come back to the table when four new commissioners elected last week begin serving in January.
Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.
Comments
AlphaAlpha
Tue, Nov 9, 2010 : 9:31 p.m.
and yes, that would read potentially dangerous occupations. sic 'em...
AlphaAlpha
Tue, Nov 9, 2010 : 9:01 p.m.
You have a right to believe certain things are or are not 'necessary', and if you want to believe that all contractors, for just one example, from local handy people to your extreme minority skyscraper walkers ([sic], as you would say - most would call them ironworkers, a very noble and 'necessary' profession) should not ply their trade, you go ahead and believe what you are comfortable believing. Gee, imagine an eerie world where no potentially occupations exist. Better stay out of the classroom-could be dangerous. As far as mistakes are concerned, they are the root cause of injuries in virtually all occupational injuries, public service included. Facts are facts; OSHA says police work is not as dangerous as certain 'law enforcement advocates' would have you believe.
Speechless
Tue, Nov 9, 2010 : 10:49 a.m.
Vivienne Armentrout:  "... By state law, contract negotiations with these unions must go to binding arbitration.... Deputies have long had much better benefits than other county employees, including a generous retirement package that often allows them a second career after they retire.... Don't blame the Board of Commissioners for this one." E.R. Murrow's Ghost:  "... Vivienne:  I'm VERY happy that deputies have better benefits than other employees -- that's my point. They do a thankless and at times dangerous job and are not particularly well compensated for it. I begrudge them nothing...." May I play double contrarian here by agreeing with both Vivienne and ERMG? Vivienne notes a two-tier discrepancy between the deputies' benefits package and that provided to other county employees. The officers get a Cadillac, while most other staff get by with benefits at the level of an Escort or Impala. EMRG, meanwhile, is correct to defend the deputies' benefits from any presumption that the existence of a two-tier arrangement automatically implies everyone should be brought down to Escort level to insure fairness. With respect to health care, give everyone a Cadillac. Less than fifty miles to our east, Canadians receive one — and more — just for being a legal citizen. And so it goes throughout the developed world, but not here. As a stepping stone to true universal health care and to a much-improved Social Security, the county can opt to go forward and set a good example for this region and elsewhere. When units of government across the country offer "Cadillac" benefits to all, that will place upward pressure on standards in the private sector (encourage a "race to the top") and on the future policy decisions of elected federal representatives. It will help pave the way for something closer to European-style public health and pension benefits.
stunhsif
Tue, Nov 9, 2010 : 8:22 a.m.
@AlphaAlpha, thank you for keeping the "danger" of being a police officer in perspective with all the other 'sheeps' jobs out there. Can A2.com tell us how many Washtenaw Sheriff's have been killed in the line of duty over the past 50 years? As I stated in an earlier post, I have no problem with the salaries for the police officers, it is the benefit packages that allow them to retire in their early 50's with a fat pension and healthcare till they die 20-40 years later. These are benefits that none of us in the private sector will ever enjoy and as a taxpayer I find that patently unfair to hold a gun to my head and make me pay for these ridiculous fat cat pensions which are no longer sustainable and horribly underfunded across the country. It is one thing for a private company like GM to hand out fat cat pensions but quite another to do it at taxpayer expense. Oops, I forgot the taxpayer bailout for GM! Nuff said!
AlphaAlpha
Tue, Nov 9, 2010 : 6:20 a.m.
"Law Enforcement Officers might someday die for you. And they don't even know you." Drama. As important as 'law enforcement' officials, public servants, are, it's important to keep their occupational hazards in proper perspective. The job is not near the top of the list of hazardous occupations. Many common occupations, such as construction, tree trimming, etc., are much more dangerous than police work is. This is per OSHA.
C. S. Gass
Tue, Nov 9, 2010 : 5:44 a.m.
As far as 'cutting' the Deputies "Cadillac Benefits" goes, remember this: They are paid for and taught to run TOWARD the sound of gunfire, trouble and danger. They do not have the option of running away like the rest of the 'sheep' out there in the world. They do not have the luxury of knowing that barring a freak accident, they'll come home at night. They are paid (not nearly enough) for the potential sacrifice of their forever, so that others do not have to. I am glad they get paid more and have better benefits than the rest of the county workers. They deserve it. If they were paid twice as much as the rest, and the Road Commission, the DPW, and the rest paid half what they are now, it still wouldn't be enough. Ask yourself, what would you be willing to die for? I'll answer for you... Your kids, if you have them and are a good parent, maybe the country if you ever served, and not much else. Law Enforcement Officers might someday die for you. And they don't even know you. Remember that.
Justice4all
Tue, Nov 9, 2010 : 12:20 a.m.
@Monica R-W: Tom Perkins pointed out in an earlier article that Ypsilanti Twp. has one of the lowest costs per resident in the county. Combine? maybe, but doesn't look like cost is the reason why. "The township has one deputy for every 1,700 residents, equating to roughly $92 per resident in costs. The City of Ypsilanti provides one officer on the street for every 1,022 residents, at a cost of $237 per resident." http://www.annarbor.com/news/washtenaw-county-sheriff-jerry-clayton-weighs-in-on-ypsilanti-ypsilanti-township-joint-police-depart/index.php
AlphaAlpha
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 5:59 p.m.
Well Mr. Perkins, your silence is deafening. Will we see the raw data?
Monica R-W
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 5:12 p.m.
Another reason why Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township need to merge to save cost IMHO. This is entirely too much to pay for an officer.
leaguebus
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 4:34 p.m.
"The township has one deputy for every 1,700 residents, equating to roughly $92 per resident in costs. The City of Ypsilanti provides one officer on the street for every 1,022 residents, at a cost of $237 per resident. Ann Arbor puts an officer on the street for every 1,520 residents, at a cost of $238 per resident. And Pittsfield Township employs one officer for every 1,550 residents, at a cost of $137 per resident." This is a quote from an article in AA.com by Tom Perkins on 9/12/2010. The first township he is talking about it Yspilanti township and that is their cost for county deputy coverage. Obviously that should go up about 20% but that is still a bargain, per capita. Its lower cost than Pittsfield. Stop whining about the county police costs, its a bargain.
dading dont delete me bro
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 3:52 p.m.
i had a comment deleted, probably because it was directed at ghost. it did not attack him. i pointed out that the actual cost vs what wcsd was going to charge yt had been a topic of discussion for a number of months. now that it's know, would this have affected the outcome of the cited (by posters) township police service millages? annarbor.com care to comment on my comment removal? ghost?
AACity12
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 1:54 p.m.
Good Idea Stunhsif, Then we can just pay them $8/hr and tell them if they don't like then they can go find work somewhere else. Right? Thats exactly why there are unions to get proper pay for a very tough job and protect them from people like you.
michaywe
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 12:48 p.m.
Sheriff might take a clue from school districts offering 'school's of choice' - be better, offer more and in the case of WSD, be 'best value'.
Patti Smith
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 12:46 p.m.
Woman in Ypsilanti...thank you for what you said. I am so tired of people calling for the abolition of unions. What you said makes so much more sense...I too wish that more private sector folks had unions to protect wages and benefits.
YpsiLivin
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 12:30 p.m.
ERMG Dading's comment (in its entirety) was: "how ironic this story came out a week after the millage passes..." To which you say: "The township millages had nothing to do with deputy pay... which dading's comment implied they did. Wow! I think you're reading an awful lot into these 12 words.
robyn
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 12:25 p.m.
I think you're the one making the 'issue' out of it. The point I was making by bringing up that type of benefit is that - while public/government employees should have health care coverage - that coverage should be fair to both the employees who are benefitting from it and to the taxpayers that are paying for it. I have very decent medical coverage. (I also have dental and optical.) I do pay a portion of my insurance - my employer pays the bulk of my policy though. If I wanted better coverage - or coverage that would pay for the costs of elective surgery or prescriptions that are not really beneficial to my good health - I would pay more out of my own pocket for that additional coverage. I don't know exactly what the insurance for the sheriff's department costs or consists of. However - it's not unreasonable for taxpayers to be concerned about how much is being spent and how it is being spent.
a2huron
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 11:58 a.m.
Now they admit the county's charging less than the actual cost for contracted deputies. $30000+ per deputy is indirectly paid by noncontracting units of government as a subsidy. No other way to put it. Figure is much higher if the twelve road patrol deputies are used as filler for the contacting townships. I'm betting they are. Commissioners need to start representing their direct constituents.
YpsiLivin
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 11:57 a.m.
ERMG: Let's review. dading:"how ironic this story came out a week after the millage passes..." ERMG:"There was no Sheriff's Department millage on the ballot." YpsiLiving:"On last week's ballot, the issue of police protection was voted on in four communities:... ERMG:"there was not a millage for the funding of the WSD." How unlike you to introduce irrelevancies into an otherwise pleasant discussion...
Jake C
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 11:22 a.m.
@robyn: "Here's an article about the cosmetic surgery for school employees: http://www.buffalonews.com/city/schools/article236860.ece It's just one of dozens - many outline the abuses of the coverage." I'm sorry, but if by "dozens" you mean that a google search for "cosmetic surgery for school employees" has dozens of results, they're all from different sources for the one lone Buffalo school story. And here's the other relevant quote from the article: "The teachers union agrees that it's time to eliminate the cosmetic surgery rider. Rumore says that when the next contract is negotiated, the benefit will be eliminated." Most likely, these teachers were paying extra to have a cosmetic surgery rider (which was also partially funded by public dollars) and it will probably be gone within a year. Those teachers who weren't using/abusing the rider are just as happy as the taxpayers to have it eliminated. Problem solved. I don't think this is the issue you're making it out to be.
robyn
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 10:55 a.m.
Here's an article about the cosmetic surgery for school employees: http://www.buffalonews.com/city/schools/article236860.ece It's just one of dozens - many outline the abuses of the coverage. While the initial reason for adding the coverage was well intended - and I would certainly have absolutely no problem covering cosmetic surgery in instances like the one in the article. However - covering procedures that are unnecessary in order for a person to live 'normally' shouldn't be a taxpayer's burden.
sailor67
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 10:49 a.m.
Having recently moved to Canton Township - after living in Ypsilanti Township for the past 25+ years - I couldn't resist taking a peak at the 2011 Canton Police budget. Their 85 sworn officers cost approx. $9,000,000 in wages $3,900,000 in benefits $260,000 in supplies or approx. $149,000 per sworn officer. Add in another $3,000,000 or so for the 33.5 "civilian" police department employees and you get an annual budget of approx. $16,000,000. Seems like a lot of money until you actually experience living in the 3rd safest municipality in Michigan - where traffic laws are enforced, where blight and superfluous noise isn't tolerated, and a place where our kids have a safe environment to grow up - without all the drama. Go ahead folks, come on over to our side of Rawsonville Road and see what "Safe" feels like.
Woman in Ypsilanti
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 10:39 a.m.
I find it a little bit surprising to learn that police officers make so much money. I would be upset about it except that I believe there is a correlation between officer salaries and corruption. The more you pay a police officer, the less likely they are to be corrupt. I think it is nice that the police officers have a union which can negotiate a decent salary and wage package for them. I wish more of us in the private sector had such unions too.
Jake C
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 10:39 a.m.
@robyn: "I'm not sure where I read the article - perhaps it was here. But the insurance through a school district was paying for cosmetic surgery" And what's the problem with that? Cosmetic surgery isn't just nose jobs and boob lifts. It would be nice if you had a source for such a claim, because often such "cosmetic surgery" coverage just means that insurance will pay for help with repairing disfiguring injuries, like massive facial scars or 3rd degree skin burns. I know if I had a dog maul my face, I'd sure as hell take advantage of my "cosmetic" surgery benefits before it went away so I looked as normal as possible before going back to work.
lester88
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 10:28 a.m.
Vivienne said: "There has been discussion earlier about the special protection unions for law enforcement officers receive from Michigan law. By state law, contract negotiations with these unions must go to binding arbitration and thus the employer of such personnel has little choice about their benefits." These are not true statements. Many public safety contracts are negotiated and settled without going to arbitration. Arbitration is intended to protect law enforcement officers? You may need to do a little more research and not just repeat what union critics post here. I'm not so sure you want police and fire fighters walking off the job in a contract impasse. I think the intent of the law is to protect us, the citizens of this state, not the officers. The employer does have a choice. It's called open and honest negotiations. The employer can't fritter money away on "nice to haves" and then argue successfully that they can't afford the "must haves."
robyn
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 10:22 a.m.
It's really difficult to guess exactly what the cost of each officer is without the raw data. As far as health care costs - in many companies the employees have a choice as to which insurance and the type of coverage they can obtain. Depending upon each individual's own personal circumstances - they can chose what best suits their needs and the needs of their family. Depending upon the type of insurance and the coverage, the employee may need to pay for a portion of their coverage. This keeps the costs down for the company while still paying the bulk of the employee's insurance and the employees get the coverage they want and need. I'm not sure where I read the article - perhaps it was here. But the insurance through a school district was paying for cosmetic surgery. This additional coverage was 'won' through union negotiation. Apparently this will be taken out of the contract so some employees are taking advantage of this 'benefit' before it is gone. The point I am trying to make is that when the taxpayers are footing the bill - they should not be taken advantage of just because they CAN be taken advantage of. We want our police officers to have good insurance, but there are limits that need to be set.
Jake C
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 10:09 a.m.
@a2grateful: "What is the value of one life saved? Your life? A family member's life? Your neighbor's? A stranger's? To me the beneficial value of service far outweighs the cost of service." To the people directly affected by police intervention, the cost or benefit is infinite and incalculable. But that doesn't mean we can give our local townships, cities, and counties an infinite law enforcement budget. They operate in the real world, just like the rest of us, and they need to set budgets and stick to them and do the best with what they have. Having realistic data put together in reports like this by the AnnArbor.com news team is a tremendous asset to the community.
Julia
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 9:54 a.m.
12-14k/year in health insurance costs? Not since about 8 years ago. This figure would be more like 28,000 per deputy with family coverage, if not MORE! It's the biggest and fastest rising cost in employee benefits. Thank your friendly drug companies. The rates for the drug coverage alone account for the fastest growing cost within the health coverage. Drug companies suck. And so do their 'treat you without curing you' bs products. If health plans covered homeopathic drugs and visits to 'alternative' health care providers (Naturopathic doctors, for example), these costs could be drastically reduced, and people could be cured of thier supposed lifelong conditions. But that's a whole different complicated mess.
glimmertwin
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 9:51 a.m.
For that kind of dough, I would expect to see a reduction in crime. How's that working out? Sounds like the county is trying to fill in all of its budget shortfalls by fleecing the townships. I say fire them all and citizens are yourselves.
YpsiLivin
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 8:43 a.m.
ERMG, On last week's ballot, the issue of police protection was voted on in four communities: AUGUSTA TOWNSHIP POLICE PROTECTION PROPOSAL Yes99643.15% No131256.85% BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP POLICE SERVICES PROPOSAL Yes42959.58% No29140.42% NORTHFIELD TOWNSHIP POLICE PROTECTION PROPOSAL Yes216571.78% No85128.22% YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP POLICE PROTECTION PROPOSAL Yes871758.35% No622241.65% So while there may not have been a "sheriff's millage" on YOUR ballot, there certainly was one on mine. There's more to Washtenaw County than Ann Arbor, you know. You should get out a little more often and see how the other two-thirds of WashCo residents live.
Vivienne Armentrout
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 8:36 a.m.
Ghost, There has been discussion earlier about the special protection unions for law enforcement officers receive from Michigan law. By state law, contract negotiations with these unions must go to binding arbitration and thus the employer of such personnel has little choice about their benefits. Deputies have long had much better benefits than other county employees, including a generous retirement package that often allows them a second career after they retire. Don't blame the Board of Commissioners for this one. They have to follow state law. BTW, I actually agree with Conan Smith for once. A good idea to align contract times and budget schedules. Congratulations to Ypsilanti Township for passing a police services millage - not a small accomplishment in these times.
a2grateful
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 8:12 a.m.
What is the value of one life saved? Your life? A family member's life? Your neighbor's? A stranger's? To me the beneficial value of service far outweighs the cost of service. A big thanks to the emergency public safety and/or service providers!
DonBee
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 7:55 a.m.
In the county, there is a strong effort to merge fire departments. At the same time there is an effort to create a number of new police departments? I wonder if either trend is right? Would it be cheaper if we merged all the fire departments? Would we get better coverage? Would it be cheaper if we merged all the police departments in the county? Would we get better coverage? A complete and open release of the cost figures used in the analysis would be very helpful. An open analysis of the costs for Washtenaw and for the surrounding counties would also be useful. The whole issue was moot until the county decided it needed a bigger, nicer jail. Should townships and cities with their own police force pay less in county taxes? As townships and cities pull away, the overhead costs for the Sheriff's department per deputy will rise, since they will still have the jail to deal with.
stunhsif
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 7:53 a.m.
45 grand a year in benefit costs for each officer. Salary of 74.3 K ( no complaint from me there) but the ratio of benefit cost to salary over 60%. Once again, another reason to get rid of the unions for government workers.
Hot Sam
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 7:27 a.m.
Public safety=The county commissions cash cow...
trespass
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 6:59 a.m.
You need two numbers. The total average cost per officer and the incremental cost per officer. Anything above the incremental cost contributes toward fixed costs but even if you only receive the incremental costs, the county doesn't lose money. Many of the arguments put forth by the commissioners are really about what are incremental costs. Then you need the market survey to see what other competitors might charge if given the opportunity. The contract price must be higher than the incremental cost but how much higher is determined by the market price. This calculation is done by businesses all the time. We just had an election where the voters said that the governor should be the one that promises to run the state more like a business. Isn't this problem just such an issue?
Basic Bob
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 6:57 a.m.
"Indirect costs account for another $33,326 per PSU. The more significant of those costs include central dispatch, liability insurance, support staff costs, general supplies and information and technology systems. The Police Services Steering Committee recommended the cost also include $7,524 per PSU in overhead expenses, which makes up part of the sheriffs administration costs." How much of this would still be necessary if Ypsilanti Township had their own police department? That portion should be paid by the county. Is is easy to confirm the number of deputies on patrol to make sure the townships are getting what they pay for, but the townships have no control over the efficiency of the support operations. Hopefully Jerry Clayton is watching those costs carefully, because he will be stuck with any shortfall in his budget.
AlphaAlpha
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 6:45 a.m.
"The next story hopefully will be to compare the Sheriff cost to other counties like Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb using the same criteria to get an apples to apples view." Yes. Great point InsideTheHall. This comparison could be extremely helpful.
dading dont delete me bro
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 6:38 a.m.
how ironic this story came out a week after the millage passes...
AlphaAlpha
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 6:36 a.m.
Mr. Perkins - Where is the raw data? The inputs? The expense numbers being used? And the calculations which manipulate those numbers? The community deserves to see, and evaluate, these numbers. Let's get some daylight on things. Thank you.
InsideTheHall
Mon, Nov 8, 2010 : 6:26 a.m.
The next story hopefully will be to compare the Sheriff cost to other counties like Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb using the same criteria to get an apples to apples view. Until then we get Jeff Irwin spin.