Lake County Commissioners announced Friday they intend to initiate the process of withdrawing from a nearly 60 year-old agreement with the state over criminal jurisdiction within the Flathead Reservation. With the withdrawal process initiated, the county is giving the state six months notice to take over operations completely, which would involve creating their own law enforcement infrastructure and police force, at an estimated cost of $100 million. In the release Friday, commissioners point to the $2 billion budget surplus as a potential source for the funding needed to support this program.
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