PONTIAC, Mich. (WXYZ) — The 7 Investigators were the first to tell you about the fight for transparency by some local leaders, as they demand information from Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter and the Oakland County Board of Commissioners.
Watch Heather Catallo's video report:
On Wednesday night, that fight was on full display at a very heated commission meeting. Orion Township’s fight for information was one of several hot topics on the agenda that had a huge crowd of Oakland County residents pushing back against the commission.
“I’m asking every single one of you – do you have the information?” asked Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett during the Oakland County commission meeting Wednesday night.
Barnett is once again taking his pleas for information to public comment at a public meeting; it’s the 9th time he says he’s had to do that in the last year.
Barnett told the Commissioners that he’s still trying to get information about how much Orion Township’s Sheriff’s contracts will cost his residents in the future.
Now, his fellow elected Orion Township leaders are speaking out as well.
“We cannot responsibly move forward or communicate honestly with our residents without complete and accurate information,” said Orion Township Trustee Jack Lovat.
“Something needs to change. I didn’t want to be here tonight, and I suspect the rest of my colleagues didn’t want to be here tonight. But I’m here because I want to effectively serve my residents, and so should you, because they are your residents too,” said Orion Township Trustee Carrie Hilgendorf.
“When a small group takes control and doesn’t allow the input of those who are elected, you are denying our residents their rights, and it’s got to stop,” said Orion Township Trustee Matt Pfeiffer.
Barnett says after Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter’s financial team recommended massive rate increases for the 12 communities who contract with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office for police services, local leaders were promised updated rate information by the end of 2025. Barnett says the communities love the services the sheriff’s office provides, and they want to pay their full share, but he says the county’s numbers do not add up.
“How long have you been asking for a meeting with Executive Coulter?” asked Catallo.
“Since November of 2024, when this first happened,” said Barnett, and provided multiple text messages with Executive Coulter to back that up.
Barnett says he’s asked Coulter at least 8 times for a meeting to get the actual costs for policing.
After the supervisor had to send a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the county for the information, Barnett says Coulter canceled a meeting he had finally scheduled for Tuesday. Barnett said he felt threatened after Coulter told him he could only have the meeting if he withdrew his public records request.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Official says Oakland County leaders refuse to meet on new sheriff contracts
Executive Coulter’s Communications Director Teresa Recinto released this statement to the 7 Investigators:
Oakland County values its relationship with Orion Township, including its longstanding contractual arrangement for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office to provide law enforcement services to keep the township’s residents safe. "After a thorough review of prior contracts between the county and communities for law enforcement services provided by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, the county determined that the rates that had been paid by those communities were lower than the county’s costs for providing the services. This meant that in effect, communities with their own police departments were subsidizing costs for those which contract with the county those services. In 2024, the county Board of Commissioners adopted new rates to more closely align with anticipated costs.
The County Executive never threatened Supervisor Barnett. He offered to provide the contractual rate information in either a meeting or a FOIA request and the supervisor chose FOIA, as is his right. Either way, the county has offered him the opportunity to discuss the information provided once he has reviewed it. While the supervisor continues to make baseless accusations, the county stands ready to provide him with all the financial information used to help set the rates.
“That sure feels like gotcha politics. And the way this meeting is being run, I don’t know what version of the Open Meetings Act you guys follow but it’s certainly different than the one we do,” said Barnett. “Please do your jobs – demand this information.”
Orion Township needs that information by early May so they can prepare for their millage request.
If you have a story for Heather Catallo, please email her at hcatallo@wxyz.com
