Commissioners want other counties to contribute their ?fair share? to HUNT
Meeting for the first time since the November 2 general election, members of the Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners decided November 10 to levy the entire quarter of a mill to support two school resource officers and a Huron Undercover Narcotics Team (HUNT) officer in the county. HUNT is comprised of local and state officers who have specialized training in preventing the illegal sales of controlled substances, and enforcing laws in enforcing Alpena, Alcona, and Montmorency counties, as well as Presque Isle County.
All four counties were facing HUNT millage proposals, and while the requests were not contingent upon all four counties approving the different measures, some commissioners believe other counties need to pay their fair share whether the request at the polls was passed or not. Voters in Presque Isle and Alcona counties passed their requests, while Alpena and Montmorency counties turned down proposals.
“OUR COUNTY passed the millage, but we’re not going to support it (HUNT) 100 percent,” Bruder said. “We’re not just going to open our pocketbooks and throw it at them.” Bruder said much of the drug activity originates in Alpena County, and while HUNT has been doing an exceptional job of stopping dealers, he believes Alpena County needs to support the organization. The county board chairman has requested a budget from HUNT commander Rick Schultz so the commissioners will know where the money is going, and how much money the other entities are contributing.
Vice chair Gary Wozniak said the HUNT board has not met since the general election. Pre
BRUDER AND WOZNIAK have met with the school resource officers from the Rogers City and Onaway schools, along with equalization director Sharyn Malone, to come up with a recommendation on the levy for the board. Without grant funding, the salaries of the school resource officers would be a total of $85,500, including medical benefits. “I think we would be smart to levy the full millage this year,” said Bruder. “We’ll look at all the budgets, and in future years, if we don’t have to levy the full amount, we can reduce it.”
The proposition will levy up to 25 cents on each $1,000 of taxable valuation for four years from 2004 through 2007. According to the county equalization office millage will generate $126,725 the first year. There is a grant application pending, and if that comes in it, would support 80 percent of the program, and only the amount needed would be levied.