Township officials press Oakland County for ‘actual cost’ data after 36% sheriff contract increase

A large contingent of township supervisors, treasurers and municipal officials used the May 21 public comment period to demand transparent accounting from Oakland County for recent sheriff service contract increases they said reach roughly 36% over three years. Speakers described repeated requests, incomplete FOIA responses and, in some cases, litigation to force disclosure of the supporting calculations behind the county’s true‑up invoices.

Why residents spoke: Dozens of supervisors and local finance officers said the contracts they signed promised ‘‘actual cost’’ true‑ups and that they have not received the complete supporting documentation. Orion Township’s treasurer said the township identified apparent overbillings in retirement health savings allocations and urged an outside accounting review to resolve discrepancies.

Supervisor Barnett told commissioners the county is in violation of law‑enforced contract terms because actual cost backup has not been provided and said plaintiffs will drop litigation if full records are supplied. Multiple township officials said delays and partial document releases have created mistrust and legal expense.

Commissioners responded: Several commissioners expressed sympathy and committed to follow‑up conversations. Commissioner Markham said one‑on‑one meetings with affected supervisors are underway; Commissioner Hoffman proposed asking the administration to provide the requested documents within 30 days or to commission outside accountants to reconcile the numbers.

What was requested: Speakers asked for itemized actual‑cost calculations (not the county’s allocated overhead figures), documentation of true‑up calculations, and a clear distinction between allocated and actual costs for items such as health care and retirement benefits. Several supervisors said the county had provided only allocated figures and withheld the underlying documentation that would demonstrate actual historical costs.

Next steps: Commissioners agreed to accelerate outreach to affected municipalities. One commissioner urged that outside accountants be engaged if county staff cannot produce the requested information promptly. The public asked for formal motions to produce data and to resolve outstanding FOIA requests.