In a change of course from previous years, the Dukes County Commission on Wednesday unanimously voted to endorse a bill, now before the state legislature, that would merge the Island sheriff’s department into the state system and place it under control of the Executive Office of Public Safety.

County commissioners have opposed a state takeover of the Dukes County sheriff’s department in prior years, largely because the plans did not call for the state to take on the county’s unfunded liabilities for employees’ pensions and post-retirement benefits.

The current bill now before the legislature’s administration and oversight committee would have the state pay for unfunded pension liabilities for current and retired employees of the sheriff’s department.

Under proposed amendments, unfunded liabilities beyond pensions would be added to the state; the future costs of health and life insurance for current employees and current retirees would become the responsibility of the commonwealth, too.

At the county commissioner’s regular meeting Wednesday, county manager Russell Smith said the current bill is the best plan to date for a state takeover of the sheriff’s department.

“I think we’re on rendition number nine of this. In my opinion this is much improved,” he said.

Longtime county commissioner John Alley agreed.

“Of all the sheriff’s bills I’ve seen, this one is pretty good. Some adjustments do need to be made, but it’s pretty good,” he said.

Commissioner Thomas J. Hallahan, who headed a subcommittee to examine the takeover plan, said the bill was potentially beneficial to the county and sheriff’s department if amended properly. Placing the burden of pensions and post-retirement benefits on the state could save the county millions in the years to come.

“It we get this amended, it’s a huge responsibility off our shoulders,” he said.

Dukes County Sheriff Mike McCormack was initially opposed to a state takeover last year, but changed his position last spring when it was revealed his department was running at a deficit. The sheriff’s department asked for and received over $100,000 in emergency funding from the state county government finance review committee to make up for that shortfall.

The proposal is part of Gov. Deval Patrick’s budget plan, and would merge the seven sheriffs in Dukes County, Nantucket, Barnstable, Bristol, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk counties into the state system.

The county governments would not be affected, and the sheriffs would remain elected positions.

Other sheriffs in Massachusetts have been part of the state system since their county governments were abolished, beginning in the mid-1990s.

Data from the executive office for administration and finance said the merger would streamline the sheriffs’ offices’ finances, resulting in savings in future years. For example, employees would fall under the state insurance and retirement systems, saving an estimated $8 million to $11 million a year once the restructuring is complete.

In recent years, the Dukes County sheriff’s department, along with other county sheriffs, have faced problems due to the current funding system. Under that system, sheriffs’ departments receive a portion of their funding through a deeds excise tax. But as the housing market has plunged, so have revenues, and sheriffs have had to ask the state legislature for additional funding to cover their deficits.

Mr. McCormack on Wednesday said he fully supported the bill.

“I would get some stability and predictability back on the budget side,” he said. “And the county would get a benefit because the unfunded liability part could save them millions over the next 10 to 15 years.”

Mr. McCormack said the state takeover would not effect the type of prisoners kept at the Dukes County house of corrections.

He also said he did not believe the state planned to shut down the jail anytime soon as an effort to save money.

Several commissioners questioned whether a state takeover would change the relationship the sheriff’s department has with the towns and Island community.

“I don’t see that changing at all,” Mr. McCormack answered.

“We still have a commitment to the community and we will continue to have a commitment to the community . . . if anything, that relationship will grow,” the sheriff said.

One part of the bill that has drawn some controversy is a proposed pay increase for both Mr. McCormack and Nantucket Sheriff Richard Bretschneider that would see them paid at the same level as other sheriffs across the state. Mr. McCormack would see his current salary of around $97,000 increase to $123,000 under the bill.

And although the pay raise was the subject of several newspaper articles last week, it was barely discussed during hearings before the legislature last week, according to Mr. Smith.

“I think one [legislator] said one sentence about it,” Mr. Smith said. “That is only one small part of this plan.”