Hike mainly due to loss of town-owned cars
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Staff Writer
With the last of the original Town of Burlington police squad cars now off the road, the town is looking at an increase in the cost of its policing contract with the Racine County Sheriff’s Department.
Sgt. William Mattke delivered the new contract July 11 at the Town Board meeting, along with his monthly report on calls.
The new contract will cost the town $709,176 – an increase of about $64,000 from last year’s base contract. However, that hike came in July of this year when the last of the town-owned patrol cars came off the road due to age.
Town Administrator Diane Baumeister said with mileage added to the 2013 contract, the final cost to the town this year would be $699,682. So, in reality, the cost increase is close to about $9,500 – an increase of 1.3 percent.
“We’re no longer going to have a squad, and we’re going to pay them mileage,” Baumeister said. “We were putting the gas in and repairing the squad, but now we just pay them mileage.”
The switch to the sheriff’s department for policing three years ago caused a stir, but now, Baumeister said people seemed to have accepted the change.
“I don’t hear complaints,” said Baumeister.
Mattke reported at the meeting that a number of the town’s former officers had received promotions – among them, Kelly Goetzke to domestic violence resource officer.
At least three of the former town police are also members of the county’s SWAT team.
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This was a great move, and as a taxpayer I am thankful for the leadership on this Town Board. The Sheriff’s Department is doing a fantastic job, keep up the great work!
If I remember correctly, the city underbid the sheriff by quite a bit. So in the end, the town now has to pay more to begin with, then the county jacks up their rate after a year or so, all because the town didn’t want to lose one job at the former Town police dept. That makes no sense…..
The city’s bid was lower because they weren’t going to provide the same coverage level, and in a cost per hour level, the county was actually less expensive and provides a much better service.
Mark my words, within 5 years the county provided services will be much more expensive than what the city would of charged for the same level of service! I am willing to bet money on it! The city would of eliminated the chiefs position at the Town PD, if that is the difference in the coverage level you are speaking of. Reasoning for that is having 2 chiefs in the same department is never a good idea.I feel that everyone in the township has a phobia of the big bad city taking the town over and that is the real reason the township rejected the city’s offer!!! Just my opinion!!!