AUBURN, Mich. -- The city of Auburn in Bay County has had a police department for the last 35 years.

Traditionally it's been a two office department, but last March the chief retired, leaving the city with one police officer to patrol a square mile city.

Its surrounding neighbor, which is 36 square miles, is Williams Township. That community currently relies on the bay county sheriffs department to supply two deputies to patrol township streets.

But right now the two communities, the city of Auburn and Williams Township, are looking at possibly changing their law enforcement coverage to envelop both communities at a reduced cost to the tax payer.

It currently cost the city of Auburn $206,000 per year to have two police officers in the city, while it cost Williams Township $155,000 per year to have two sheriff deputies patrol the township.

The idea is to add the one square mile of the city to their patrol as it would save both the township and city money.

The city and township held a joint town hall meeting Wednesday night at the Williams Township Hall to gather input from the two communities. That meeting began at 7 p.m.