Rancho Cordova extends Sheriff’s Office contract through 2031 in $31.3M deal
The Rancho Cordova City Council unanimously approved a new $31.3 million contract with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office on Monday, allowing the law enforcement agency to provide policing services to the city for another five years.
The contract takes effect July 1 and extends the Sheriff’s Office service through June 30, 2031. The expiration date of the new contract is 27 years after the first contract between the two entities was executed in 2004, soon after the city’s incorporation.
The contract was approved by a 4-to-0 vote with one councilmember absent. Micah Runner, Rancho Cordova’s city manager, said the cost of the contract was already approved during the city’s last budget process, and the City Council’s approval Monday clarified the agreement and added new services.
The contract was also approved with a provision directing the City Council to “analyze the ongoing service relationship” between the two entities during the next budget cycle and estimate what it would cost the city if it no longer contracted with the Sheriff’s Office. The amendment was introduced by Councilmember Joe Little.
“This is the most expensive thing we do, coming out of our general fund...It’s probably about time to make sure we’re spending our money the best way we can,” Little said. “Even if you love the level of services, we owe it to our citizens to make sure that this is what’s best for us. We’ve got time to look at it, and we’ve got time to save money for it.”
Of the $31.3 million contract, $1.77 million comes from the city’s Measure H, a half-cent sales tax intended to address community priorities. That money funds officers in the Crime Suppression Unit, Youth Services Division and a position assigned to the area between Folsom Boulevard, Olson Drive and Zinfandel Drive, according to a city staff presentation.
Of the $31.3 million contract, $1.77 million comes from the city’s Measure H, a half-cent sales tax intended to address community priorities. That money funds officers in the Crime Suppression Unit, Youth Services division and a position assigned to the area between Folsom Boulevard, Olson Drive and Zinfandel Drive, according to a city staff presentation.
The remaining $29.6 million is funded through the city’s general fund, approved biennially through the city’s budget process, according to the contract.
Under the agreement, the Sheriff’s Office handles patrol, emergency response, traffic enforcement, investigations, and administration and support services. It also provides specialized services such as community policing, a homeless outreach team and a Crime Suppression Unit, as well as tools including a helicopter, drones and a K-9 team.
The new agreement also provides for automatic data transfers between county and city systems, including traffic accident reporting, Runner said.
The agreement also adds the Rancho Cordova police chief to the city’s leadership team and requires periodic updates to the City Council, Runner said.
When positions are open, the city can select from the top 10 Sheriff’s Office personnel who are interested and available, though other staff can also be interviewed. The final assignment decision rests with the sheriff, according to the contract.
The new contract also maintains minimum assignment periods for some personnel. Many specialized positions, including the police chief and special teams, have a minimum three-year assignment, while some mid-level and supervisory positions have a two-year minimum, according to the contract.
The Sheriff’s Office operates as an independent contractor under the agreement, and its employees remain employed by the county.
The agreement is financially beneficial to Rancho Cordova, according to Runner, because the city has reduced administrative costs and the flexibility to scale staffing levels each year based on the budget and community needs.
Runner said the agreement allows vacant positions to be filled in about three months, compared with what he estimated would be a nine- to 12-month process without the Sheriff’s Office. Currently, the department has effectively zero vacancies because positions are filled quickly, Runner said.
