UNION — A new question is arising on the Union County law enforcement front.

Will the city of Union renew its contract with the Union County Sheriff’s Office for enhanced law enforcement services? The city’s current contract — which went into effect in November 2020 — expires July 1, 2024.

The city of Union has created a committee that is now meeting to address the issue and will later make a recommendation to the city council.

The committee is considering three options: not renewing the contract, maintaining the contract so the city receives its present level of service, or changing the contract so that hours of service are added.

Presently, the city receives 30 hours of enhanced law enforcement service a week from the Union County Sheriff’s Office. The service is provided bv a resident deputy who works an additional 10 hours a week for the sheriff’s office in other portions of the county.

The resident deputy’s position is funded primarily by a $125,000 Community Oriented Policing federal grant the sheriff’s office received and $200,000 from the city of Union.

Union City Administrator Doug Wiggins said the Community Oriented Policing federal grant the sheriff’s office received will not be available again, forcing the city to fully fund the position if a new contract is agreed upon.

Maintaining the service level Union is now receiving would cost between $80,000 and $85,000 a year, and the cost of receiving 40 hours of service a week would be between $100,000 and $105,000 a year, Wiggins said.

Should the contract not be renewed, it would not be the first time. Union did not renew its contract with the sheriff’s office in 2016. For the next four years, the city received emergency services from the sheriff’s office and periodic patrols but not enhanced service.

Union County Sheriff Cody Bowen feels good about the possibility of a new contract be agreed upon, noting that the city council appears supportive of the sheriff’s office. He said if the contract is not renewed, it would be a tough blow.

“We would have to cut a position, and I would not want to do that,” he said. “We would lose a deputy.”

Union Mayor Susan Hawkins said she wants her city to be able to continue receiving enhanced services from the sheriff’s office if it can afford it.

“Our hope is that the contract can be renewed,” she said.