Letter to the Editor: Townships could have been the difference

On Feb. 14, after a previous public hearing and discussion, the city council of Moose Lake voted to contract with the Carlton County Sheriff’s Department to provide law enforcement protection for the residents of Moose Lake. It was not a decision made lightly. It was a vote to ensure that the residents of Moose Lake will be provided affordable, quality, consistent law enforcement protection. It will provide more coverage for less costs.

Since that time I’ve noticed that some of the people quoted, who are in favor of keeping the Moose Lake’s police department, are identified as not living in the city but in the adjoining townships. At the public hearing on Jan. 24 there were quite a few township residents who spoke in favor of keeping the “city” police department. I was surprised at this. During this same hearing, mayor Shaw shared that in the past the city has approached the townships a number of times to discuss possible financial assistance which may have helped maintain the police department, with negative results.

I appreciate a person’s passion on this subject and recognize the right to free speech, but if you are a township resident and are not happy, perhaps talking to your township board members would be appropriate. Bottom line, the decision made by the city councilors in regard to the city budget and the police department was financial, present and future. As the editor from a local paper reported, “It was a tough decision, but at the end of the day, it was the logical one to make.”

Dan Doty,

Moose Lake