Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Budget woes continue for the Village of Pinckney – with some residents concerned yet again about the fate of the police department.

Council discussed the proposed budget at last Monday night’s roughly three-hour meeting. It carries a roughly $350,000 budget deficit.

Council President Jeff Buerman said “for years we’ve had blinders on and for years we’ve acted like a village much larger than we really are…somewhere along the way we convinced ourselves that tomorrow would somehow take care of itself…the reality is that good intentions alone do not balance budgets”. Buerman said they can continue down the same path and maintain status quo or make the difficult decisions. He added “every trustee needs to be willing to look at the bigger picture and be willing to make tough decisions as to the financial reality facing the Village”.

Buerman went on to say the general fund is being drained at a pace that cannot last. At the current trajectory, he said it will be approximately three years at the current deficit before they face “a very serious financial crisis – and that’s assuming nothing major goes wrong”. Buerman stressed “I will not vote for an unbalanced budget, and I will not support asking taxpayers for millages increasing simply because we lack the courage to address the underlying problem”.

The majority of discussion centered on the cost and possible future of the police department. The budget document listed the requested amount for 2026/2027 as $793,253.

The Village website states “The Pinckney Police Department is a full-service law enforcement agency responsible for providing police services to the Village of Pinckney, its 2,500 residents, and local businesses. The Police Department has 15 sworn police officers and reserve officers who provide police coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and who have a strong commitment to community policing principles”.

Some residents spoke during call to the public and a public hearing on the budget. A couple stated “it’s a math problem, not necessarily a people problem” – expressing hard decisions have to be made to balance the budget. Once commented “it’s time to reduce the size and scope and slash the nearly $800,000 budget request by at least a third – this is a two-officer town”. Another asked if sub-contracting had been explored, or joining with nearby departments.

When asked if the department looked at alternative policing, Chief Jeffrey Garrison said they haven’t presented anything because they are already at minimum staffing with nobody extra – they have enough people to cover their shifts and one-part timer.

One councilwoman, it was unclear who based on the virtual meeting, referred to alternate policing or temporary solutions saying other departments are not that far away and will respond – noting the police department does have minimum staffing but it’s for 24-7 coverage for 1.4-square-miles. She said she thinks they need to be “very realistic about what the real need is” – commenting further that emergencies happen but they do have a fire department that answers very quickly; along with EMS, Hamburg, Unadilla, and the county is often in the area. She said “no one is saying they don’t like or want the police department but they have to be realistic about the kind of police department they can afford, based on what we have”.

Some on Council also inquired with a Putnam Township official in attendance about the cost of its contract with the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office.

Chief Garrison clarified they have talked with both Hamburg and Unadilla about the prospect of forming an authority but neither is interested – saying they “don’t want anything to do it” and “the community likes their police department”.

When questioned about looking at alternatives based on when calls come in, Garrison assured that “calls come it at all times of day and night and all days of the week and there’s no specific time – they come in when they come in”.

Garrison stated they have exhausted various funding options and grant opportunities, noting the size of the community doesn’t matter – they still have to meet the same state and federal standards. If he lays off his new guy, Garrison said they’ll have to pay back the state and then later start all over again.

Garrison said he has already cut/terminated one employee. He said “when you start talking about making a full-time department part-time, you will lose everyone in the department. Everyone. Because they need full-time work. They are full time employees and have bills to pay as well. And you’ve got a collective bargain agreement you’ll have to deal with as well. If you make them part-time, they’re going to file a grievance and this village will lose because there’s collective bargaining for them to work the hours they are”.

It was stated by Council the police budget will only continue to go up every year and they can’t move towards a balanced budget with the current setup – with many noting they want to keep the department but they can’t keep it at the current cost.

Referring to the budget later in the meeting, Buerman said “I look at this damn thing every day – do I want to irritate the police department - hell no – but we can’t afford it…sorry folks – it’s where we’re at”.
Discussion led to some potential savings in the police budget down to $692,378 – which it was stated would reduce the proposed budget deficit to just under $250,000 for the year.

There had been past talk of a possible millage for police services but based on Monday night’s meeting, it did not appear to be proceeding based on discussion.

It was stated the millage would not solve the problem or make the department more affordable.

The Village attorney advised there were a “number problematic things” with the proposal wording and Council already missed the chance to get it on the August ballot. The next opportunity would be in November but even if it passes, revenue would not be realized until September of 2027.

There have been some questions raised publicly about Buerman serving in different roles and collecting different salaries.

Resident Raymond Rau addressed the budget and spoke “in support for the DPW to go union” last week. He said “when I go through the minutes and I look it over, I start asking questions - why do I keep seeing management and office management getting all this extra, but every time they come to the DPW it’s getting taken away…then I look at the salary for the village president, it seems a little off compared to what the records show…and then I look at the raise you gave yourself”, referring to Council.

Buerman earns a $5,000 annual salary for the Village President position, $15,000 per year as Zoning Administrator, and $30,000 as Village Manager.

Buerman told WHMI “While there have been a number of rumors and allegations circulating within the community, I believe it is important that residents rely on documented information and public meetings rather than speculation. The Village faces financial challenges that must be addressed, but those discussions are occurring openly, and I remain committed to working collaboratively with Council, staff, residents, and community stakeholders to identify responsible solutions that position the Village for long-term success”. His full response is attached.

A motion passed to table the budget approval to the next Council meeting to investigate options for police.

The Village is required to adopt the budget by July 1st.

A special budget meeting has been scheduled for tonight at 6:30pm.