County will vote on road patrol grant Tuesday

LUDINGTON — Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole is asking the Mason County Board of Commissioners approve a grant that helps pay for part of a road patrol officer. On Tuesday, the commissioners are expected to vote on the grant request through the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning. The $51,000 secondary road patrol grant provides enough funding to pay for half of a road deputy.

Sheriff Cole said the deputy’s primary purpose is to patrol non-primary roads. The county funds the rest of the position through local tax dollars. In the past the state provided enough money for 1.5 road patrol deputies, Cole said.

In addition, the board will vote on accepting a Homeland Security Grant that will pay for 38 new gas masks for the sheriff’s office, Ludington Police Department and Scottville Police Department.