The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
County to propose deputy layoffs
Sheriff decides to seek legal action against County
By Austen Smith, Editor
PUBLISHED: August 24, 2006
In a letter sent on Friday, Washtenaw County Sheriff Dan Minzey warned area officials that the county has developed a plan to lay off over 40 deputies and support staff throughout Ypsilanti, Augusta and Salem townships.
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Minzey said, in the letter, that County Administrator Bob Guenzel will recommend that the County Board of Commissioners approve a plan that would lay off 35 deputies, four deputy investigators and an undetermined number of command and support staff throughout those three townships.
Ypsilanti, Augusta and Salem townships are all currently involved in a lawsuit with the county over police services and are operating without a contract.
"As Sheriff of Washtenaw County, my primary responsibility is public safety. I have no intention of allowing this Board, the Administrator or administrative staff to take any action which undermines my constitutional obligation and jeopardizes public safety," Minzey said in the letter.
Guenzel had no comment on Minzey's letter. When asked about the potential layoffs, Guenzel again had no comment.
"As far as specific information concerning deployment plans for the sheriff's department; that's confidential information," Guenzel said. "I can't comment on anything specific."
In Minzey's letter, he told officials that Guenzel planned on proposing his layoff recommendation at the Board of Commissioner's Leadership Meeting, which was scheduled for tonight at 5:30 p.m.
However, at approximately 3 p.m. on Monday, county administration sent out a notice of cancellation of the meeting.
"The meeting was cancelled because we just didn't have any business to go forward with," Guenzel said.
County commissioners have set a tentative deadline of Sept. 1 for the three townships that are currently operating without a contract. They have also set forth three options for the townships, which include:
l Accept and sign the current four-year contract that other municipalities have already approved.
l Switch to a month to month payables system for police services at a rate determined by the county.
l Develop an alternative proposal.
If either of the townships agree to either of the options and a contract is approved, the would essentially abandon their lawsuit.
The Sept. 1 deadline reflects several decisions from the county board to postpone the deadline after a resolution was passed on July 5.
Guenzel said they are currently waiting on a decision from the townships.
"We've been discussing what to do on Sept. 1," Guenzel said. "It's up to (Ypsilanti, Augusta and Salem townships) to sign the contract, which I hope they do, or come up with something else."
He added, "I think we've delayed this several times already and we need a response from the townships, on which way we want to go."
In his letter, Minzey stated that in the July 5 resolution all parties agreed to negotiate in good faith until a solution was found. He said this new plan to lay off deputies is a complete reversal of what they had previously agreed upon.
"I was assured (by Guenzel) that any reduction in services would not involve the loss of jobs," Minzey said in the letter. "There is no legitimate justification for this action, as every township we police remains current in paying for our services."
Minzey continued, "The County has ignored this comprehensive plan and has chosen to propose an extreme reduction in police personnel that places the entire county at risk."
Minzey now plans to file his own lawsuit thereby joining the three townships and several other parties involved in a lawsuit with the county over police services.
Ypsilanti Township Supervisor Ruth Ann Jamnick said they have already filed a preliminary injunction that would stop any reduction in deputy staff, but no hearing had been scheduled as of press time.
Jamnick said she was very disappointed when she received Minzey's letter.
"I think its unfortunate that we have gotten this far," Jamnick said.
"This development is very disappointing. The ladies and gentlemen who serve the township have now been pushed a little further into limbo as far as their jobs are concerned."
Jamnick had talked with the supervisors from Augusta and Salem, she said they are planning to meet and come up with a plan of action.
Attorney for Ypsilanti Township Doug Winters said he was made aware of the county plans on Friday afternoon. Winters said the county blatantly violated an order handed down from visiting Monroe County Judge Joseph Costello, who is presiding over the lawsuit proceedings, to not treat the suing townships differently and any action doing so would be "suspect on its face."
"The sheriff's issues obviously parallel our issues in the lawsuit," Winters said.
He continued, "It's one of those situations you'll probably never see anywhere else where you actually have a governing body that is prepared to compromise and jeopardize the safety of their own county. It's gone beyond this idea of differences of opinion. (The county) has this vitriolic hatred toward these three townships and they are prepared to take a wrecking ball to the sheriff's department."
Winters echoed comments made in Minzey's letter saying this new proposal for a major staff reduction is partly motivated by election results from the August primary where several board incumbents were ousted from their positions.
"This is political vengeance over the county results," Winters said.
Township officials also worry about what kind of impact possible layoffs will have the entire county. There are several area police departments, including the City of Ypsilanti, and neighboring sheriff's dept. sub-stations that rely on back up from the 44-deputy contracted force of Ypsilanti Township.
"This is going to have a county-wide impact," Supervisor Jamnick said. "(Police services) is absolutely something that we should not be arguing over. It's most unfortunate that this issue, has been going on for so long and reached this point."
Minzey also talked about the county-wide impact of the potential lay offs.
"If the Board succeeds in making these cuts, it would have a far-reaching impact throughout the entire County. Not only would Deputies be withdrawn from those three townships, but it would affect all contract areas county-wide."
Minzey also stated in the letter, "This impending action insults every dedicated employee of this agency who strives every day to maintain law and order in our community.
It is now time to rally the citizens of Washtenaw County behind us. I have every intention of leading this charge to defend the people of our community."
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