Washington County’s Public Safety Committee signed off last week on an updated Anti‑Crime Plan that bundles extra court security, a pay bump aimed at keeping dispatch staff from leaving, and funding for a prosecutor focused on drug cases. Before the vote, committee members toured the county’s communications hub during a briefing led by Sheriff Martin Schulteis and dispatch staff. The move is the latest step in a multi‑year push to shore up public safety and staffing across county departments.
What the Committee Approved
According to a post by Washington County, the package signed off on by the committee includes additional court security, “an upgraded payment plan” meant to help retain current dispatch staff within the Sheriff’s Office, and funding to add a drug prosecutor to the District Attorney’s office.
The post notes that Sheriff Schulteis and members of his communications team walked committee members through the dispatch center and shared photos from the visit. The Facebook update does not include a detailed timetable or a line‑item budget for the newly approved pieces of the Anti‑Crime Plan.
How This Fits Into Ongoing Policy Work
The committee’s latest action is part of a longer policy arc that started with an Anti‑Crime Plan referendum in 2022. In that campaign, the plan’s executive summary outlined a proposed $3.6 million levy increase to fund roughly 30.5 new positions across multiple county departments.
As reported by TMJ4, that original proposal triggered a series of town halls and public discussions. Feedback from those events eventually fed into a more phased, budget‑level approach that county officials have been rolling out over several budget cycles instead of through a single, large referendum package.
Funding, Staffing and Dispatch
Per the Washington County strategic priorities, county leaders have been working with what they call a "Plan B" version of the original Anti‑Crime proposal. That approach invests some elements of the plan through the 2024–25 biennial budget while county staff continue to assess remaining needs for 2026–27.
The same strategic materials highlight efforts to consolidate or partner on dispatch services with Hartford and Germantown as part of long‑term staffing and cost strategies. County staff are expected to report back to the Public Safety Committee with outcome measures and any future budget requests tied to this evolving plan.
Next Steps for the Proposal
Under the county’s stated rules for board and committee duties, committee approvals move proposals and related budget recommendations to the full County Board for final consideration. At this point, the committee’s social media post serves as the public summary of what was approved; it does not spell out whether the action will trigger a separate referendum or a specific levy change.
The county’s Facebook announcement includes a photo that it says shows Supervisors Tony Thoma, Tina Pridemore, James Burg, Doug Neumann, Chris Bossert, County Board Chair Jeff Schleif and Sheriff Martin Schulteis. Officials have not released a separate detailed budget estimate alongside the post, and county documents along with the original Anti‑Crime Plan white paper remain the primary sources for background on the plan’s staffing and funding history.
