Village Board debates sheriff’s contract

Some want more options for village police service

By Rumasa Noor

Staff Writer

The Union Grove Village Board on Monday continued its discussion from the July 13 meeting about the sheriff’s contract for 2016.

In the July 13 meeting, Trustee Chris Gallagher questioned why the village isn’t able to have its own police department and has a contract with the Racine County Sheriff’s Department.

Trustee Mike Younglove said the village isn’t required to have a law enforcement agency since its population is less than 5,500.

“When the population hits 5,500 people under the current state law, we have to provide either our own police services or a contract with someone else so we are still under that population,” he said.

The population of Union Grove in 2013 was 4,884, according to City-Data.com.

“We looked at a lot of different options and … there are no other police agencies that are willing to take on this size of contract primarily because they don’t have a staff,” he said. “Sheriff has been providing services to Union Grove since we disbanded our local police department, which was more than 20 years ago.”

He said the village negotiates minor things with the sheriff’s department but the sheriff’s department sets personnel costs.

“We don’t get to choose who the deputy is, although, I believe the contract says the sheriff would talk to us if there were ever an issue,” Younglove said. “But under the contract he remains the sole authority (to make the decisions).

Younglove said the citizens aren’t concerned about who shows up when they call, all they want is for someone to show up when they call.

“I don’t thinkanyone in the community is married with the fact that it’s a sherriff’s contract,” Younglove said. “I think the taxpayers that we enroll are very much used to having a deputy or police officer around and I think they have an expectation of that.”

Other business

After serving the village for six years, Union Grove Village Board Trustee Teresa Holm is resigning from her position to relocate to a different area. Her resignation will be effective Aug. 31.

Trustee Adam Graf reported on the July 8 library board meeting. Board members asked Graf to discuss certain details with Library Director Katie Hanson.

Holm said to discuss “restructuring” the staff of the library. Mike Younglove suggested asking Hanson about the grants she has reviewed and why they’ll work for the library.

“We are supposed to report back to our taxpayers where their money is going,” she said. “If we don’t have any answers, then we are not really doing our j