I know it’s been an anxious time for many of us, anticipating the resolution of the police services issue. Let me cut to the chase: I am pleased to announce that the attorneys for the litigating townships (Augusta, Salem, and Ypsilanti) delivered signed 4-year contracts for police services to my office today.

As you may know, or might have read in the Ann Arbor News, the County agreed late last week to postpone the signing deadline in order to accommodate Ypsilanti Township’s Board meeting last night. The Township Board approved the contracts as written, and I imagine all parties are breathing a sigh of relief today, knowing that the immediate dispute is resolved.

Now, I don’t expect that today marks the end of the debate; you might recall that the County agreed to a stipulated order stating that the Townships are free to continue their litigation against us. But it certainly represents the end of a tense time involving a lot of difficult negotiations.

And in many ways, all’s well that ends well. The delivery of signed contracts assures that there will be no need to reduce services to these three townships, which means – most important, and particularly heartening as we begin the holiday season – there will be no deputy layoffs.

In my mind, there’s no better way to head into the Board of Commissioners meeting tonight than with that happy news. Having the signed contracts in hand is a fitting tribute to the entire Board, each member of which has worked so diligently to arrive at a mutually satisfactory resolution.

Enjoy the rest of the week!

Bob