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Sheriff's office outlines 2026 contract increases; trustees ask for SRO and supervisor options
Summary
Larimer County Sheriff—s Office briefed trustees on projected 2026 contract changes tied to insurance, mental-health responder costs and staffing. Trustees asked staff to prepare budget options that would include either partial town funding for a second school resource officer or funding for additional supervisory coverage (a corporal).
Representatives from the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) told the Wellington Trustees they expect cost increases in the town contract for 2026 driven by higher insurance costs and an added mental-health responder component.
Kevin Keaton, introduced the LCSO team and outlined the major items in the department’s draft budget for Wellington: an increase to cover insurance for deputies, $10,000 to offset mental-health co-responder costs, and an increase to cover overtime and staffing shortfalls following recent deputy injuries and a six-week administrative leave for a deputy involved in a shooting.
Keaton said LCSO has fielded more than 100 mental-health related calls in Wellington in the first half of 2025 and added the $10,000 line to “take the sting out” of the sheriff office’s expenses for mental-health responses. The sheriff’s office also requested $25,000 to cover overtime and shift coverage pressures.
Trustees pressed LCSO on whether Wellington should budget for a second school resource officer (SRO). Keaton and Sergeant Downing said Wellington currently shares one SRO with Poudre School District (PSD) and that PSD has not yet committed to a second shared SRO. LCSO estimated Wellington’s full added cost for a second SRO at roughly $190,000 if the town were to pay 100% of the position; LCSO noted the current arrangement that splits costs with PSD reduces Wellington’s share substantially.
“We have a very rapid response time,” Keaton said, adding that Wellington deputies’ substation location produces short response times in many cases. But trustees and the sheriff’s staff noted there are times deputies are already committed elsewhere and that response times can lengthen.
Trustees discussed two alternatives: (1) budget a town share (50%) of a second SRO and seek PSD commitment, or (2) fund a different position (a corporal) to provide consistent supervisory coverage and reduce overtime. Trustees expressed concern about setting a precedent if the town funded an SRO entirely while PSD did not contribute.
Trustee Teets asked the board to prepare options for the budget, saying she would like an option that earmarks 50% of the additional SRO cost so the town could quickly implement the position if PSD commits. Other trustees recommended preparing two options in the 2026 budget packet — one with a town share of a second SRO and one that funds an additional supervisory position — and then to use a budget amendment after PSD’s budget timeline is clearer.
LCSO representatives also briefed trustees about implementation of a state-level law (referred to in the discussion as Prop 1 30 and related implementing legislation such as SB 310) that will provide per-officer funding and other supports for recruitment and retention. Keaton said the county-level process is still being designed and that the town is unlikely to see direct contract offsets; the state program is expected to include per-officer allocations and education/retention funding but those payments may flow to deputies rather than automatically reduce municipal contract costs.
No final contract decision was made. Trustees directed staff and LCSO to present two budget options in the October/November budget packet and be prepared to bring a budget amendment if PSD’s timing requires it.
