The Tioga County Legislature voted 8-1 Thursday to support the Village of Owego’s application for a grant to consolidate the Owego Police Department into the Tioga County Sheriff’s Office. Several legislators spoke before the vote, most saying they want the ultimate decision to be made by village taxpayers.
“This is a perfect opportunity. The village can get funds. They can go through the process and they can begin to learn if this is a viable option.” Martha Sauerbrey is the Chair of the Legislature. Her district includes the village. “The most important this is that people get to vote on this by a referendum. They will get to say whether they want a police force or they don’t, and that gives them more power than they actually have right now.”
Legislator William Standinger was the lone dissenting vote. The retired state police member has a master’s degree in criminal justice and 25 years of law enforcement experience. “I recognize that the village is a concentrated density of population. I understand it requires a different level of policing.”
The village will now have until Tuesday to submit their grant application.
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Here is the original grant application. Specific details may change before it is submitted on Tuesday.
The issue stems from recommendations made by the State of New York on how the Village can save on expenses. The full review from last year can be viewed below.
