In the past 20 years, the population has remained essentially flat, yet crime rates have increased and the need for services has gone up considerably. The county budget has not kept pace with the need. In addition, the county faces a $1.2 million deficit in its next fiscal year, a shortfall that can be eliminated with a public safety millage.

Over the past 10 years, the Sheriff’s Office has operated under an increasingly constrained budget. It has had to eliminate and reduce the number of public safety personnel including deputies and courthouse security guards, decrease training and professional development for deputies, limit road patrol service, and rely more heavily on financing from the general fund. From 2002 to 2022, there was a 64% increase in calls for law enforcement service, but a 45% decrease in certified sheriff’s deputies. In addition, the county faces a $1.2 million deficit, which can be offset by the public safety millage.

If taxpayers vote against the millage, the county will face a $1.2 million deficit in its budget. Law enforcement services will be significantly reduced, and the remaining services will be funded by the county’s general fund. This would have a domino effect of reducing services county-wide. The impact may include the following, among other things: Reduced ability for the Sheriff’s Office to offer 24/7 services Little-to-no road patrol service Longer response times Inability to continue the DARE program at schools Inability to continue with professional development training for deputies Elimination of services county-wide No marine patrol for Wiggins, Pratt, Sugar Springs and Ross lakes and for Secord, Smallwood and Wixom lakes when refilled Elimination of grant-funded special investigations units (domestic and sexual assault investigator and secondary road patrol positions) Inability to retain and recruit staff for all county offices Reduced attendance by deputies at community education and safety events

If the Sheriff’s Office doesn’t have enough staff or funding to offer 24/7 services, then there could be periods where no deputies are available to answer calls or enforce the law. This is critical to the residents of Gladwin County as the Sheriff’s Office is the only agency in the county to provide public safety services 24/7.

To fund Gladwin County Law Enforcement services in Gladwin County, shall the constitutional limitation on the total taxes which may be assessed each year upon all property within the county of Gladwin, Michigan, be increased by up to 1 1/2 mills ($1.50 per $1,000.00 of state taxable valuation), for a period of six (6) years, from 2023 through 2028, inclusive, commencing with the December 2023 tax collection. If approved and levied in full, this millage will raise an estimated additional $1,794,253.51 in the first calendar year of the levy, based on state taxable valuation. If approved and levied, a portion of the millage monies raised in respective jurisdictions may be captured by any Tax Increment Financing Authorities, pursuant to state law. [Yes] [No] To support the law enforcement millage, vote yes. If you do not support the law enforcement millage, vote no.

Yes, those costs are forecasted and included in the public safety millage.

The Sheriff’s Office currently utilizes grants from the Michigan State Police to support secondary road patrol and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to support marine safety. At this time there are no other grants are forthcoming.

The millage cannot increase during the proposed six-year term. If the Board of Commissioners believes it is in the best interest of the county to continue the millage after six years, it can propose a millage renewal, which would be subject to a vote of the people.

A 38% apportionment of the general fund will continue, but the millage will fund 62% of the Sheriff’s Office budget.

No. Those departments all have their own budgets. This will fund the Sheriff’s Office.

From 2002 to 2022 there was a 45% decrease in certified sheriff’s deputies. The three new deputies filled vacancies. Despite hiring three deputies, the Sheriff’s Office is still not fully staffed. Additionally, State of Michigan funding paid for the deputies’ academy training and graduation. Without this funding, Gladwin County would not have had the means to hire them.