A Milton committee is considering recommending that the town dissolve its police department, turning policing duties over to Delaware State Police to save money.

Police ad-hoc committee Chair Lynn Ekelund said it's a fiscally responsible decision to eliminate the municipal police department, and she has supported the proposal for about five years. Nearly $800,000 – 47 percent of the town's budgeted expenditures – is allocated to the police department in the fiscal year 2015 budget.

“It's gone beyond a small municipality's ability to pay,” she said in a November interview.

Committee members are expected to discuss and possibly vote on a recommendation to the mayor and council to eliminate the town's police department during a Dec. 22 meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Milton library, Ekelund said.

Milton Mayor Marion Jones said in a November interview that she is opposed to eliminating the police department, noting that a police department is required according to the town's charter. A charter amendment would require approval from the General Assembly. She said the process of bringing in state police to take over municipal policing duties is complicated, costly and could result in longer response times for emergencies.

"Milton would need to do a good deal of research to assess the feasibility of switching police protection over to the state," she said in a Dec. 1 email.

Jones said the committee was not officially tasked with exploring the option of nixing the police department.

During the committee's Nov. 24 meeting, members discussed and approved a recommendation to council to dissolve the police department, but their vote was void because the issue had not been posted on the meeting agenda, Ekelund said. The committee had met to discuss possible changes or eliminations to the department's take-home vehicle policy and K9 unit, according to the meeting agenda, but acting chief Capt. John Cornwell was unavailable to present updated information to the committee because he was attending and patrolling a candlelight vigil at Park Royal Apartments, Ekelund said.

Cornwell is filling in for Chief William Phillips, who has been on sick leave since August. Phillips could not be reached for comment; it is unclear when he will return.

In addition to Cornwell and Phillips, the Milton Police Department currently employs one lieutenant, one corporal, one patrolman and one administrative assistant and has two recruits in the police academy, according to the October monthly police report presented to Town Council. Milton police officers, with the exception of the chief, are not bound by any employment contracts and the department is not unionized.

Committee members have previously complained about high turnover within the department, citing low pay as the reason officers often look for employment in other jurisdictions. Milton officers start out at about $30,000 a year, advancing to $34,000 once training is completed. Nearby jurisdictions, such as Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach and Georgetown, have starting salaries ranging from $41,000 to nearly $47,000 a year.

If the committee approves recommending the dissolution of the department to Town Council, council will have the final say. Delaware State Police spokesman Sgt. Paul Shavack declined to comment on the logistics of Delaware State Police stepping in until more information about the recommendation is made available to state police.

Editor's note: The chief of the Milton Police Department is the only officer with a contract. A previous version of this story incorrectly said captain instead of chief.