If you go What: Long Beach Board of Aldermen meeting. When: 7 p.m. Tuesday. Where: City Hall annex.

LONG BEACH - After months of debate, the Board of Aldermen will decide Tuesday whether the county should take over the Police Department.

The aldermen also will make a decision about former Police Chief Tom Bishop, who stepped down from that job more than six months ago amid allegations of sexual harassment.

Proponents say if the Harrison County Sheriff's Department takes over, the city will save about $650,000 a year, money that could be used to fix Long Beach's many drainage problems.

Those opposed to the move say they don't believe the saving will be that much, if any.

Sheriff George Payne made a proposal to the mayor and aldermen several months ago, offering services similar to those his department provides D'Iberville.

Mayor Robert Bass supports the change, which he calls a "unique opportunity."

Bass sent a letter to residents last week, asking them to notify him, the aldermen and the supervisors if they approve of Payne's proposal.

"This is a sensible alternative providing professional, highly trained law enforcement and a saving of over $650,000 based on this fiscal year's budget, almost 10 percent of our general budget," Bass said in the letter. "That's money we can use on drainage, street improvements, recreation, senior citizens' activities and additional library capacity."

Bass has some opposition.

"I'm opposed to the Sheriff's Department taking over," Alderman Gary Ponthieux said. "If we lose the Police Department, we'll never get it back. And the money that George Payne is saying he'll save the city won't happen."

Sheriff's Department Maj. Randy Cook serves as interim police chief. Ponthieux favors hiring a permanent chief and making Bishop a sergeant again, the position he was in when he was promoted to police chief in 1998.

Others think Bishop's civil service classification should be changed to fit the job he is doing now, serving warrants for city court and working as a zoning enforcement/code inspector in the code enforcement office.

Either way, Bishop likely faces a reduction in salary. Currently he makes $42,500, the same annual salary he did as police chief.

"I don't have anything against the man personally," Ponthieux said of Bishop. "But I'm tired of the taxpayers paying $42,500 for someone to do a part-time job. He's lucky to have a job, as far as I'm concerned. I'd let him go if I could."

Several other aldermen have said they would not vote to terminate Bishop.

Bishop left the chief's position July 1 after an employee in the Police Department filed a sexual harassment suit against Bishop and the city. Five other employees have filed similar suits. Together, the plaintiffs are seeking damages of nearly $9 million.

Melissa Scallan can be reached at 896-0541 or at mmscallan@sunherald.com.