Cass County sheriff outlines proposed 1-year contract, hourly increase for Wellsville policing

Cass County Sheriff Chad Jansen told the Wellsville City Council on April 2 that he is proposing a one-year contract extension for police services to allow the county and cities to phase in wage-related cost increases. Jansen said the county is proposing to change the hourly billing rate from $52.35 to $56, keeping the same number of contracted hours Wellsville currently pays for (1,374 hours annually).

Jansen said Wellsville received more than the contracted hours last year (2,780 hours) and that, based on eight months of this fiscal year, the county estimates about 2,500 hours of service—well above the contractual baseline. He told the council he is proposing a one-year contract rather than a three-year agreement so the county can spread increased personnel costs over time; he said most of the cost pressure stems from efforts to raise wages to be competitive with neighboring agencies.

The sheriff explained his budget composition to the council: wages and benefits make up the large majority of the sheriff's office expense, and he said about 95% of the proposed increase is tied to wages. Jansen also provided operational data: roughly 567 calls for service last year (his cited period), with projections from the eight-month sample showing modest changes; citations and arrests showed increases in the sample. Jansen characterized patrol work in the valley as moving toward more targeted, proactive enforcement in identified problem areas.

Nut graf: The briefing was informational—Jansen asked the city to consider a one-year addendum to the current contract reflecting only the hourly rate increase; he said a full three-year contract could be proposed next year when the county's finance and audit system changes are implemented.

Council questions focused on regional comparisons, coverage and the drivers of higher hours in Wellsville (including Highway 91 traffic). Jansen said Wellsville's contracted coverage falls near the middle of comparable South End communities on a per-city basis and explained that Hiram has higher contracted hours by choice to fund more visible presence. He also noted that if Wellsville and other cities choose multi-year contracts it helps the sheriff's office budget and planning.

Ending: The council did not take a contract vote at the April 2 meeting; Jansen said he would supply last year’s contract document to city staff and return with a proposed one-year addendum or a three-year draft in future negotiations.