HANOVER — Following the objection of Mayor Kathy Tampio and the Silver Creek Village Board, the Town of Hanover is asking the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office to honor the terms of the first year of a two-year agreement for enhanced police protection town-wide.

The Town Board authorized Supervisor Lou Pelletter to sign and execute an agreement with the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office for enhanced police protection for the year 2026 at a total cost of $632,382, with quarterly payments of $158,095.50 split evenly between the Town of Hanover and the Village of Silver Creek.

The agreement was negotiated as a two-year deal, but after Tampio and the Village Board asked for a renegotiation of the Village’s portion to more accurately reflect the amount of calls stemming from village incidents, the Town Board has been forced to reconsider its future plans. The Village proposed a 60/40 split with the Town taking on the majority of the cost, but with the cost of the contract already budgeted for this year, Pelletter and the Town Board rejected the Village’s ask. In response, the Village proposed the cost be covered by making the entire contract cost a budgeted item covered by the town-wide taxes next year.

“The Village agreed initially to do two years, and now they want to do one year,” Pelletter said. “We have a contract with the Village to pay us half the cost for 2026, but not for 2027.”

The Town still wishes to commit to a two-year agreement with the Sheriff’s Office, but with the Village not committing beyond 2026, Pelletter is seeking to come to an agreement with the Sheriff’s Office for its portion of the contract. Pelletter stated that it is his understanding that all terms and conditions of the two-year negotiated agreement will remain in effect through at least 2026.