While separate votes last week revealed officials in the Village and Town of Waterford were moving forward with a plan that calls on the town to provide police resources to the village, a series of maneuvers this week cemented the effort.
At a special Village Board meeting June 16 with the Finance Committee, officials voted in favor of a finalized document. The Town Board followed suit with a similar motion June 17.
Last week, both boards adopted the five-year agreement, which unwinds a longstanding agreement that gave the Racine County Sheriff’s Department exclusive public safety to the village.
However, both boards’ actions were contingent on municipal attorneys reviewing the document. A few wordsmithing changes had taken place in the past week, though the essential components of the agreement remain in place.
Within the next six months, officials in both municipalities will begin hammering out some of the finite details about the contractual arrangement.
Throughout the discussions of the proposed arrangement in recent months, Police Chief Tom Ditscheit has asserted the village could pay, on average, $509,012 annually for the arrangement. But there are a number of caveats to that figure, including a new police contract and who ultimately patrols the village.
Additionally, the village has agreed to pay a series of start-up costs, including a new squad, additional service weapons, Taser guns and uniforms.
Duplicating last week’s actions, neither Village President Tom Roanhouse nor Town Chairman Tom Hincz voted to adopt the finalized document this week.
Roanhouse and Hincz each serve dually on the Racine County Board. Since that governing body has oversight of the sheriff’s department, legal counsel in the village and town advised Roanhouse and Hincz to refrain from deliberating and taking action on the agreement.
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The sheriff bid for 2016 was reported to be just shy of $479,000. And this board accepted the town’s proposal which is just over $509,000. And other costs not covered are the cost of a vehicle and additional police equipment. Not to mention all the other expenses incidental to policing. Gasoline? Repairs? Worker’s Comp? Fleet crashes? Overtime? Court trial overtime? Personnel training?
Both boards have shown their respective short-sighted vision and lack of what’s in the best interest for their constituents.
Will this new plan cost taxpayers? Absolutely. How much exactly will it cost? Neither board can say. Not only will village residents suffer a loss of services, but town residents will feel the pain as well trying to cover the need for increased services.
Just tracking the books for this endeavor will be a full time job! No worries though, their 65 year old Chief who is on his second retirement plan is on top of it! Where does he live again? Oh yes, neither within the village or town limits. What about the town police force? Most all live outside Waterford, and their latest star employee lives near Lauderdale Lakes in Walworth County. So much for the “local control” theory…
I wish more people would see what you and I both do. There is very poor decision making happening here. This whole deal does not pass the sniff test.
I pray we do not have a major incident in the village, but if we do, we WILL need the help from the Sheriff’s Dept. I would imagine the village will get a hefty bill from the Sheriff if he has to send detectives or special teams out here?? The Sheriff is NOT required to send specialized resources free of charge, according to the statute. This whole deal makes me sick.
You get into a domestic disturbance with your husband, show intimate parts of your body at a local tavern, fire a weapon while intoxicated, and still retain your job?? Now be given a full time job?? Holy cow…..she must have something good on the “Chief”. Good Luck, I’m out of this place.
There is so much corruption in the Town of Waterford. Drunk officers fighting with each other (one still on the force), the woman cop who fired a gun during an argument with her husband (still on the force), the officer who lied to the DNR about illegally getting a deer, the one who testified in court ON BEHALF of a young woman who was DEALING HEROIN to Waterford High School Students (he too is still on the force), the former fire chief who is under investigation for embezzling thousands of TAXPAYER dollars under the noses of its clueless town board, and now the former cop who was, according to the Racine Journal Times embezzling from the Shrinner’s Children’s Hospital while allegedly still on the town police force!!!!!!