The Tusayan Town Council has caught a break. Legally it was stuck with a contract to pay more than $360,000 a year for Coconino County to provide law enforcement services. When the Town considered getting out of the contract to explore other options, it learned that a deadline had passed to end the deal.

Things started to look better for the town when Coconino County helped apply for a grant that would cover about half of that tab. While both sides hope for the grant money, Sheriff Bill Pribil delivered more good news, he won't hold Tusayan to the law enforcement contract.

Sheriff Pribil said he read 'with great interest' recent comments from the council on the issue. That prompted an in person visit. The Sheriff said as Tusayan develops its own law enforcement, he is prepared to phase out the contract. But he was very clear that he won't force the Town to live with a contract it doesn't like, "If you agree and we agree that we want out of that contract, we most certainly can dissolve that contract when we want to...we are not going to hold you to a contract that you don't like."

Pribil also explained why the cost for the existing contract is $360,000 a year. He said Tusayan accounts for about 4% of the calls for services and 360 grand is 4% of his budget.