News

City will have options if council pulls out of the city-county police contract

By Scott Wagar

11/08/2011

If the city and county come to an impasse on the 2012 police contract, and the city decides to establish their own police department, local residents in town will have continuous police protection, while at the same time having a say if they want a city police force.

Although the Bottineau County Sheriff’s Department wants to provide policing to the residents of Bottineau, if the city does make the decision not to sign the 2012 police contract, the county sheriff’s department will provide the residents of Bottineau police protection until December 31, 2011, when the city-county police contract ends. At that time, it will become the responsibility of the city to provide police protection to its populace.

If city residents are against the city establishing their own police force, they can turn to Home Rule to keep the county as its police department.
Home Rule is the right of the people to have a referendum in changing an ordinance or ruling created and passed by a city council. In Article IV, Section 1 of Bottineau’s Home Rule, it states, “The voters of the City of Bottineau shall have the power to refer and initiate ordinances and resolutions.”

This means if the people of Bottineau are against an ordinance or ruling made by the council (like establishing their own police force), they can sign a referendum petition against a law or edict. “Referendum petitions must be signed by qualified voters of the city equal to at least twenty (20%) percent of the total votes cast in the city at the most recent presidential election,” stated Home Rule Article IV, Section 3.

By receiving 20 percent of the residents’ signatures, the city can hold a special election, or vote in the next appointed election, to turn around an ordinance or resolution approved by the council.

The police committee (which is made up of Troy Marsden, chair, Brad Gangl and Jeff Hall) has stated they want to work out the difference in the 2012 city-county police contract with the county.

However, if the talks do fail, the city will have police protection and the option to decide who they want to provide policing for them.