BETHEL — The Oxford County Sheriff’s Office has offered the town two, one-year contracts for law enforcement coverage for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Voters will decide the issue at a June town meeting.

The first contract is for three dedicated deputies and no dedicated overnight coverage. That cost is $428,349.

The second option is for four dedicated deputies with one covering the nights. The cost would be $573,450.

A third option for the town is to pay nothing and have county coverage with no dedicated deputies assigned.

At a discussion April 2, the Select Board, Town Manager Sharon Jackson and a few audience members weighed their options and discussed their disappointment with the Sheriff’s Office.

“They just don’t have the personnel,” Select Board Vice Chairman Michele Cole said. “It is very annoying that neither the county, the administrator, or the commissioners will not or cannot provide a breakdown. According to our contract, it is only certain things we are supposed to pay for … we are not supposed to be paying for office space.”

“It’s a breach of contract,” said Selectman Frank DelDuca, who with Jackson had met with Oxford County officials.

“The deputies we have are great deputies, there are just not enough of them,” Cole said. “We are paying for services we are not receiving now.”

“We are not getting line items,” DelDuca said. “By statute we are (supposed to) get police coverage. Bethel does not have very many emergency calls. We have police coverage that’s covered in our county taxes. They have to respond to our calls … how much additional coverage do we need?” he asked.

DelDuca said he and Jackson agreed when Chairwoman Meryl Kelly said that the whole county benefits from Bethel having coverage. “They are pricing us out of the market and so now the whole county is not going to have the benefit of Bethel,” DelDuca said.

“This is what they came back with,” he said. “Vacant employment, a slipshoddy presentation for us to present to our people and not fulfilling the contract we already have with them.

“It’s a hard thing to say, ‘listen, I want to pay for more of that,'” DelDuca said.

A resident pointed out that the contract says, “‘all deputies assigned to Bethel will stay in Bethel.’ That has not been the case … the point is they are violating this contract left and right.”

Selectman Pat McCartney asked if the contract could be dropped and renegotiated.

“It’s really not negotiated to begin with,” DelDuca said.

On Kelly’s suggestion, the board voted to put the higher priced contract on the warrant. A motion from the town meeting could lower the amount opting for the lesser coverage or no coverage.

“If the amount is not appropriated your contract goes away,” Jackson said.

Copy the Story Link

« Previous

A Hidden Gem: The Lovell Historical Society

Next »

West Paris Library’s eclipse party was a hit