No police protection set for Electric City

The Grand Coulee/Electric City police contract for 2015 is in limbo.

Electric City Mayor Jerry Sands said this week, “we haven’t seen any contract, yet.”

Ever since voters turned down a real estate levy request by Electric City by a two to one margin (232-116), a police contract has been in question. The special levy would have raised $65,000 for Electric City.

“Apparently residents don’t want police protection,” Sands said.

The two law enforcement council committees had met several months ago and pounded out an agreement for $115,000 for coverage in 2015. Now that is in jeopardy.

Among the options is to not have an agreement -- no police coverage -- and save the money so that the city could do something in 2016.

The final year in a five-year contract ends Dec. 31.

It was hoped that the 2015 agreement would give the two cities time to explore the idea of a combined police department under some kind of two-city management.

It all started to come apart when Grand Coulee presented a new five-year contract starting at $209,000 and ending at about $250,000. That offer hit a brick wall and another was tried starting at $189,000. That one was also dead on arrival.

That’s when the two council committees got together and came up with the $115,000 plan.

Neither council has passed the plan.

Sands said he doesn’t know where the money is coming from.

The 2014 contract was for $77,000. Electric City used the funds it receives for real estate taxes, about $122,000.

Some of that money is used for other purposes, Sands noted.

If the $115,000 offer stands, then Electric City will have to dig into its reserves.

Already, City Clerk Jackie Perman noted, the city is digging into its reserves for 2015 to the tune of about $100,000.

The Electric City council committee is made up of John Nordine and Aaron Derr. Grand Coulee’s council committee is made up of Erin Nielsen and David Tylor.

As of Monday, no meeting had been set.