RONAN, MT — A dispute between the Lake County Sheriff's Department and the city of Ronan is growing over how much law enforcement coverage Ronan should have and who should pay for it.
The dispute became public on April 8, 2026, when Lake County Sheriff Don Bell and Undersheriff Levi Read spoke during public comment at a Ronan city council meeting, according to meeting minutes. They inquired about 24-hour coverage. Audio from that meeting was unavailable.
Lake County Commissioner Bill Barron initially questioned the approach.
"At first I thought it wasn't the appropriate way to handle it, but after talking with the sheriff and Levi, I think they weren't doing that more from a perspective to get people's attention," Barron said.
At a May 27 meeting, Read expressed concerns about communication between the sheriff's office and the Ronan Police Department and proposed a schedule that would provide 24/7 coverage.
Read's position centers on House Bill 333, passed in 2025, which requires every Montana city to either maintain its own police department or pay the county sheriff for law enforcement services. Read argues that Ronan residents already pay county taxes for sheriff services through a voter-approved mill levy, but the law specifically requires cities to pay separately for coverage.
According to a letter from Read, the sheriff's office responded to 59 calls for service in Ronan in the first three months of the year, a number that has since climbed past 80.
"When I wrote this letter, we searched our system; we found we responded to 59 calls for service in the first three months and that number is currently up over 80," Read said.
The letter also states that Ronan currently receives about 9 hours of weekday and 12 hours of weekend coverage from county deputies without reimbursement, which Read says violates state law.
Read also detailed serious concerns about Police Chief Jacobson's communication practices, including refusing to check in with dispatch, deactivating GPS tracking, and failing to respond to emergency calls, including a domestic violence incident. Ronan officials declined comment, but their attorney provided a statement.
The county's proposal includes Ronan Police Department coverage from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m., with county deputies covering overnight hours at the proposed $50 hourly rate. The city council is expected to consider the proposal at an upcoming meeting.
Barron said the situation has been complicated by staffing shortages within the Ronan Police Department.
"Right now Ronan is short-handed, and it brought everything to a head, but as far as official discussions, there have been none; we're trying to get a MOU started, but the mayor asked to hold off on it," Barron said.
A memorandum of understanding, or MOU, would establish a formal agreement between both parties to reach a mutual understanding.
I attended the August 26 city council meeting, where the law enforcement coverage issue was not addressed. Council members stated they had hired an attorney to handle the matter. When I asked Ronan's mayor for comment at that meeting, he declined.
A meeting was held on September 9, but minutes from that meeting were unavailable when I went to Ronan City Hall to retrieve them.
Barron said the stakes are high for residents on both sides of the dispute.
"This is important; Ronan citizens are a part of Lake County too," Barron said.
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