The City of Mason decided in May not to create its own police department, but the questions for how the agreement between the City and County regarding law enforcement is still not settled. The group of officials from the city recently considered information given to them by the mayor at a County Commissioners’ Court meeting regarding budgeting figures and law enforcement. The information included three options, such as funding at the prior proposal amount, continuing funding at the current rate, or accepting a three-year step down of funding that would end with no contribution from the City. The City opted for the first of the three options. 

The mayor also provided a proposal from the City Commissioner asking the County and City attempt mediation. She suggested a mediator and told them it would be an effort to move forward on securing an agreement between the two parties. There were suggestions for who would make up the mediation group, and the group finally determined the mayor and another member of the commission would be involved in the mediation as representatives of the city. The Sheriff was reluctant to consider mediation because he believes the issue has already been talked to death and there would be no further progress from additional negotiating. He called mediation a meaningless gesture, but said he would participate if it occurred. 

The mediation is now set to move forward, but decisions regarding the specific time and place are still up in the air and will need to be determined by the City of Mason, Mason County, and the mason County Sheriff’s Department.