Mike Vinitski of Bunker Hill Township likes knowing if he calls 911 in an emergency, someone will answer.

"Everyone has that feeling of wanting to feel protected," says Vinitski.

But come January, residents of Ingham County's 13 rural townships and one village won't have that luxury. Once covered by the sheriff's department, Commissioner Debbie DeLeon says the county will stop providing road patrols to account for a $5 million budget deficit.

"This is one area that can be shifted to those people who actually use those services," says DeLeon.

So the affected townships are working together to form their own police authority of at least sixteen officers, contracted through the sheriff's department. But the new plans won't come without a pricetag.

"It will be a special assessment on each living dwelling of $150 per year, and $250 per industrial or commercial unit," says Larry Silsby, Aurelius Township Supervisor.

Leslie Township supervisor Dallas Henney also tells us the change wasn't a surprise, but it was still a tough pill to swallow.

"The county has always provided this service for over 100 years, so this is a structural change the county has decided to do," says Henney.

Before making the decision, they're putting it before the voters on the November ballot. Township leaders say there's really no other option.

"The one option is to pass it or the other is we may not have any road patrol and if you call 911, there will be no response," says Silsby.

A scary reality for residents like Vinitski.

"Your family safety should be paramount in my mind," says Vinitski.

County commisioners say they will help townships with the transition if they do decide to contract with the Sheriff's Dept.

Township supervisors tell us they know residents won't be happy about paying an extra annual tax, but they say they'll take the time from now until November to educate residents on the consequences of not having road patrols, in the form of town hall meetings and a township-wide letter.