As of August 15, the City of Toledo will no longer provide law enforcement services to the City of Winlock.
The Toledo City Council approved a mediation settlement agreement for Winlock to terminate police services early at its Monday night council meeting. Although Toledo was supposed to provide services to its neighbor until the end of this year, Winlock Mayor Don Bradshaw pushed to end the agreement early.
“I just think the chief and our police force did a fantastic job,” Toledo Mayor Steve Dobosh said. “I felt we were on a negative roll and we needed to stop it.”
Bradshaw originally wrote a letter stating his intent to exit the agreement early on January 2, 2018. Then, in a letter dated February 27, Winlock claimed a “material breach” of the agreement. Toledo sent a letter to Winlock dated March 20 denying Winlock’s claims.
It reads, “Toledo is willing to discuss early termination of the Agreement. Provided, Winlock must first withdraw all of Winlock’s claims of Toledo being in material breach of the Agreement. Toledo will not entertain negotiating with Winlock under false claims and threat of litigation. Toledo conducts its affairs professionally and in good faith, and Toledo will not succumb to bully tactics.”
According to the settlement, which both mayors signed, “Winlock renounces all claims of Toledo materially breaching the LEO Contract, as baseless and without having justification.”
Winlock City Council approved the agreement at its last meeting and Toledo City Council voted to approve the settlement at its meeting on Monday evening. Bradshaw and Dobosh both signed the agreement, along with the cities’ respective attorneys on June 11.
In addition, Winlock will pay Toledo $55,543.94. Of that figure, $49,987.17 is for “delinquent and current contracted services through August 15, 2018.” The other $5,556.77 is “for transportation costs incurred by the City of Toledo.”
The Chronicle previously reported that Winlock paid Toledo $217,000 per year for police services, which went into effect in 2015.
Before the interlocal agreement, Toledo and Winlock both had a police chief and a patrolman. The Toledo Police Department currently has four full-time officers, including Chief John Brockmueller.
Brockmueller said the Toledo Police Department will go back to a chief and a patrolman. The other two officers’ last day with Toledo Police Department will be August 15.
Brockmueller said the Toledo Police Department will not change its shifts based on what shifts the Winlock Police Department covers.
“It’s going to cut coverage in half,” Brockmueller said. “It’s going to cost more money. Both cities lose on this deal. In talking with Winlock, their shift is basically the same shift we are going to cover.”
