Isabella County Road Patrol Millage Fails, Public Safety At Risk

Leaders in Isabela County are looking for ways to fund public safety after voters rejected a road patrol millage Tuesday.

The $3.7 million millage was proposed after voters rejected a county wide general operating millage in February, where funding for the sheriff’s department comes from. The road patrol millage was intended to raise money for Road Patrol operations, equipment, communications and notifications, as well as providing deputies. Now, the county says it will have to eliminate 31 full time and two part time positions, which include 20 road patrol deputies.

Sheriff Michal Main says in a statement starting almost immediately, there will be days when there are no deputies on the road. While state police from the Mt. Pleasant post will be able to handle some calls, officials say there simply aren’t enough troopers to handle law enforcement responsibilities as their coverage is spread throughout multiple counties. The concern is crime will increase as response times will become longer, especially in rural areas, 9-1-1 calls will be screened based on their level of priority and resource availability.

In a statement, Isabella County Board of Commissioners Chair Tobin Hope says they’ll continue to explore alternative solutions to meet the safety needs of the county without compromising the county’s financial integrity.