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CITY, ND – (NewsDakota.com) The search to hire a new Valley City Police Chief is on hold due to a proposed referendum that would let voters decide if they want to keep or abolish the police department.

On January 19th the city commission approved setting up a seven member committee to research the costs associated with eliminating the police department and contracting those services with the Barnes County sheriff’s office.

City Commissioner Madeline Luke says we have to let the public know what the estimated cost would be if the police department was abolished.

City Administrator David Schlelkoph says if the petition is approved for a vote and voters decide to abolish the department and transfer administrative control to the sheriff would the county be will to take on the task? Schelkoph says if that happens the county told him they would be willing to set up a contract with the city for law enforcement services and shift a few police officer’s over as deputies. 

The city commission agreed to study the issue using a committee made up of officials from the city, university, school district, citizens and petition sponsoring committee members.

Committee members are City Commissioners Mary Lee Nielson, Duane Magnuson, VCSU Dean of Students Peter Smith, a member from the Valley City School District, Mike Bishop, Carol Nelson and petition sponsoring committee members Lloyd Nelson and Tony Drake. One spot was left open for a Valley City family to be named later.

Ex-Officio members are City Auditor Avis Richter, City Administrator David Schelkoph, Police Chief Fred Thompson, City Attorney Russ Myhre, a Barnes County Commissioner and someone from the Barnes County Sheriffs office and Auditors office. 

The city commission will announce when the first Feasibility Committee meeting will be held during their February 2nd city commission meeting.

Feasibility Committee member and commissioner Mary Lee Nielson tells NewsDakota.com that the meeting will be open to the public.

The petition sponsoring committee is in the process of gathering the required 465 signatures necessary to place the referendum on the ballot. If approved. City residents would vote up or down on whether the city should keep the police department or abolish it altogether.

Meanwhile, Police Chief Fred Thompson told the city he will serve as police chief until further notice. In October, Thompson told the city he would retire from his position in January of 2016.