CENTERBURG — Village residents will soon have a chance to weigh in on options for law enforcement in Centerburg.
The Safety and Services Committee created a survey that will be available starting July 15.
“We used to have two sheriff’s deputies in town. We’re down to one now, and we kind of think that we even need more than two,” Village Administrator Teri Wise told village council members on Monday.
“We want the villagers to tell us what they think.”
Wise will distribute the survey through various means, including Centerburg’s downtown businesses.
She said the survey questions will enable the village to “take the temperature” of what residents think about having a village police department.
“Safety and Services put a lot of time and research into this and had various presenters come and present to them,” Wise said. “So this survey is a result of that.”
The survey will be available for 30 days. Residents can check the village website and Facebook page for more information.
At one time, Centerburg had a police department but has contracted with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office for safety coverage for decades.
Contracts for 2021-24 were not to exceed $165,000, $169,950, $175,048, and $180,000, respectively.
According to documents from the KCSO, the actual payments for 2023 and 2024 were $108,000 and $153,408, respectively. Through June 30, the village has paid $44,114.86.
The current three-year contract is set to expire in 2026.
