HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-03-08 - RESOLUTIONS - LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES COSTS (2)A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA, REQUESTING THE LOS ANGELES
COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO UNDERTAKE A FAIR AND
NON -ARBITRARY AUDIT OF SHERIFF'S COSTS CHARGED TO
THE TAXPAYERS OF THE CONTRACT CITIES
WHEREAS, the contract cities of Los Angeles County provide significant support to the
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department through the reimbursement of additional costs
incurred by the Sheriff in providing extra services to the residents of contract cities; and
WHEREAS, the County, through the Board of Supervisors, has established a policy
concerning which of the Sheriff's services will be provided on a county -wide basis and thus are
not legally chargeable to the contract cities and has implemented a cost model designed to
determine the amount of the costs appropriately charged to the contract cities; and
WHEREAS, the provision of specified public safety services on a county -wide basis for
both contract and independent cities promotes a coordinated and seamless approach to public
safety; and
WHEREAS, the importance of interjursidictional cooperation has been highlighted since
the September 11, 2001 attacks; and
WHEREAS, should the Board adopt the Auditor -Controller's recommendations which
could lead to a reduction in current county -wide public safety services; and
WHEREAS, any such reduction in county -wide public safety services should be subject
to careful and deliberative debate and consideration and not considered hastily; and
WHEREAS, the Auditor -Controller of the County of Los Angeles has for decades
annually reviewed those rates that are properly charged to the contract cities; and
WHEREAS, the Auditor -Controller has not undertaken a complete audit of all areas of
Sheriff's costs but rather has confined his audit to those areas which he considered most likely to
result in increases in charges to contract cities in accordance with his predetermined goal; and
WHEREAS, the Auditor -Controller has undertaken to date only a partial review of
Sheriff s Department costs and the various interim reports show numerous revisions and changes
in approach; and
WHEREAS, the Auditor -Controller's approach to date has provided the appearance of
bias and has resulted in a loss of confidence in the process by many contract cities and their
residents; and
Resolution No. 05-24
Page 2
WHEREAS, the Auditor -Controller is rushing its selective audit in order to attempt to
propose changes for the 2005-2006 fiscal year, we believe a complete and careful review
including areas where contract cities have been potentially overcharged for Sheriff's services,
should at least require 18-24 months; and
WHEREAS, after the Auditor -Controller completes his present work, fairness dictates
that the contract cities be provided a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on that
work, but if the audit is only partial and if the contract cities do not have a reasonable
opportunity to review and verify the findings and recommendations of the Auditor -Controller
study, those results will be contested through litigation if they result in questionable cost
allocations, thereby increasing County and municipal legal expenses at a time when revenues are
strained for all local governments; and
WHEREAS, contract cities earnestly seek to prevent city -county conflict over Sheriff
cost allocations through negotiation; and
WHEREAS, the contract cities fully support the annual review of contract cost under
existing policies but are opposed to a drastic change in current procedures, methodology and
policy; and
WHEREAS, the current partial audit results (not including any changes in the cost of
county -wide services), combined with other potential increases in Sheriff department costs which
are properly billable to contract cities, may result in a.double digit percentage increase; and
WHEREAS, a significant increase in the cost of Sheriff services due to an incomplete
and rushed audit and/or a change in underlying County policy regarding the scope of
county -wide services will result in cities either contracting with other police agencies or reducing
their contract level of services with the Sheriff; and
WHEREAS, a reduction in public safety services provided to the residents of contract
cities by the Sheriff will result in a corresponding reduction in revenue to the County with the
result being a probable decrease in total revenue to the County and a reduction in public safety
services to the citizens of the County.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita does hereby resolve
as follows:
SECTION 1. Request that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors direct the
Auditor -Controller to undertake a complete and thorough review, not a partial, selective, and
rushed audit of all aspects of costs and expenses relating to the Sheriff's delivery of services to
contract cities, including areas of potential current overcharging, and also address the unintended
consequences of reduced public safety services to all of Los Angeles County residents with due
deliberation and consultation with all affected parties and including time for the affected parties
to review and verify such conclusions, as your Board directed in May of 2004.
Resolution No. 05-24
Page 3
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 8`s day of March, 2005.
IFIN
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ATTEST:
CTI'Y CLERK_
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
)
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
) ss.
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
)
I, Sharon L. Dawson, CMC, City Clerk of the City of Santa Clarita, do hereby certify that
the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita at a
regular meeting thereof, held on the 8"' day of March, 2005, by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS
McLean, Weste, Kellar, Smyth
None
Ferry
CITY CLERK
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss.
CITY OF SANTA CLARTTA )
CERTIFICATION OF
CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION
I, Sharon L. Dawson, City Clerk of the City of Santa Clarita, do hereby certify that this is a true
and correct copy of the original Resolution No. 05-24, adopted by the City Council of the City of
Santa Clarita, California on March 8, 2005, which is now on file in my office.
Witness my hand and seal of the City of Santa Clarita, Califomia, this _. day of
20_.
Sharon L. Dawson, CMC
City Clerk
By
Susan Coffman
Deputy City Clerk