Orion Township is taking Oakland County to court, accusing county officials of quietly hiking sheriff-patrol prices in a way that blindsided smaller communities and threatens to blow holes in local budgets. Supervisor Chris Barnett revealed the lawsuit during public comment at a county finance committee meeting, saying township leaders have spent months trying to get the numbers they need to set local tax rates.
As reported by MLive, Barnett submitted a Freedom of Information Act request in April, and the complaint was later filed in Oakland County Circuit Court. The suit asks a judge to order the county to turn over the accounting details and cost breakdowns that sit behind a revamped billing system for contract deputies.
Township Says It Was Kept In The Dark
Township officials say they were promised updated figures, then left hanging when it was time to build a budget, all while a police-millage vote looms in the background. Barnett told WXYZ he has been trying to sit down with county fiscal staff since late 2024, only to see a scheduled meeting scrapped after he filed the FOIA request.
Numbers At Issue
At the heart of the fight is how much the county is charging for sheriff patrols and why the price is climbing. According to MLive, the county first applied a roughly 15% increase, then layered on additional adjustments of about 9% for 2026 and 2027. Township officials say that kind of steady bump will shove some communities into seven-figure policing bills.
County Responds
Oakland County leaders counter that the rate changes are overdue and designed to match what it actually costs to provide sheriff patrols. In a statement to WXYZ, county officials said earlier contract rates were below the true cost of service. They added that fiscal staff is prepared to share the supporting data, whether through in-person meetings or public records responses.
Local Budget Impact
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Patrol Services Division lists a dozen townships and cities that contract for patrols, including Addison, Brandon, Commerce, Highland, Independence, Lyon, Orion, Oakland, Oxford, and Springfield. Those communities, along with contract cities that rely on the sheriff’s office for police coverage, have pushed back on the higher rates. Local leaders warn that steeper contract bills will likely force either tax hikes or cuts to other services that residents rely on.
What Comes Next
The case will now work its way through Oakland County Circuit Court while Orion Township trustees weigh whether to seek mediation or chase other legal remedies. In the meantime, township officials say they will keep pressing the county for the detailed cost documents that triggered the fee increases and for a clear timeline that contracting communities can use to plan their future budgets without playing guessing games.
