PORTAGE -- With more budget crunches expected in the near future, the City of Portage is planning an administrative merging of their police and fire departments.  There won't be one single agency as there is with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety.  With the pending retirement of Fire Chief Randy Lawton, the city plans to put both the police and fire departments under the supervision of a Public Safety Director, in this case Police Chief Richard White.

The two departments will continue to operate as they do now, but with administrative consolidation they hope to reduce costs and increase efficiency.  The city is anticipating falling property tax revenues and the possible elimination of revenue sharing from the state, so they're taking steps now to cut costs.