I question the wisdom of the Clarkston city manager penning criticism about Independence Township residents for not requesting information. Why? Because she specifically brought to my attention a sheriff agreement I have since found didn’t exist. This fictitious agreement was mentioned when I questioned the city manager about the many highly irregular “specific requests for special sheriff services” such as bike patrols, driving through the city no matter where the sheriff is going, vacation checks, etc. that she has made to the Independence Township sheriff’s substation on behalf of the city.
The “additional agreement” was “spoon fed” to me after I questioned the City Manager about special police services she requested from the Independence Township. The township already replied there has never been an “additional agreement” between the city and the sheriff. So, I’m curious as to why the city manager hasn’t admitted she presented false information to the public about an additional sheriff agreement?
Township residents should be asking why the Clarkston City Manager is making highly irregular requests for special police services for the city when doing so takes an officer away from Independence Township residents. (Especially when the township just hired an additional Sheriff Deputy at the township residents expense!)
You can understand my astonishment when the city manager cited chapter and verse from an agreement that couldn’t possibly exist. Additional agreements between the city and the sheriff department for special police services to the city are prohibited by the City/Township police agreement.
When the city manager said, “One (township) resident out of 40,000 that has a problem really is not an issue,? township residents should ask why a city of 900 is already getting special services from the sheriff that have never been available to the 40,000 township residents — just three short years after the city closed its own police department and agreed to be covered by the exact same police services township residents have received from the Sheriff.
The 900 residents of Clarkston should take issue with a city manager/DPW supervisor who would say one resident’s problem isn’t an issue. Especially when Independence Township doesn’t have an “issue” when “one resident out of 40,000” has questions. The Clarkston City Council should be embarrassed a “public servant” they hired and just gave a raise to would ever say such a thing to the public.
Michael L. Powell
Independence Township