Editorial: VBT Board squabbles over police contract

At Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees approval of the proposed contract with the Police Officers Labor Council was pulled from the agenda on a 5-1 vote.
Clerk Leon Wright, one of the negotiators of the contract for the township, voted not to take it off the agenda. Trustee Brenda McClanahan was absent.
Board members complained they didn’t get the details of the contract in writing to study. Clerk Wright said they knew about the changes from a closed-door session a month ago.
Trustee Reggie Miller said there were to be more changes made and then the new contract given to the board to review before any vote. Wright said didn’t know about any changes.
Trustee Phil Hart said he hasn’t seen the contract and he was out of town when they held that closed-door session where they discussed it. “What I do know, I don’t like,” Hart said.
“I would at least like to see what I’m voting on,” said Trustee Jeff Jahr.
The contract approval was added to Tuesday’s agenda at 4:26 p.m. Monday, after the work/study session had adjourned at 4:18 p.m. It was put on the consent agenda to be accepted without discussion. The board balked. “A financial responsibility was put on the township in closed session and we need to discuss it in closed session,” Hart said. No vote.