City staff told the Oct. 25 budget workshop that Covington’s contract costs with King County have risen sharply in recent years and are expected to increase further. Staff cited an overall increase in contract spending of several million dollars since 2017 and projected continued growth tied to County contract inflation and statewide changes in indigent‑defense standards.

Key figures and projections

Staff presented a multi‑year view that shows large increases in the city’s police contract contribution relative to earlier years. They also highlighted related court‑system cost pressures (public defenders, prosecution and municipal court) driven in part by statewide rule changes and higher case volumes. Staff said that if the state standards for public defense were fully implemented on the recent timeline, Covington’s public defense costs would rise substantially over the current decade.

Council debate: hire one officer or cut other services?

Multiple council members urged adding at least one city‑funded officer before new development and traffic increases begin in earnest; others cautioned that the ongoing cost of an officer (staff estimated roughly $291,000 per officer per year when fully outfitted and accounted for) is significant and would require cutting or finding new revenue. Council heard that the city receives a year‑end reconciliation from King County that returns some portion of what the city paid when vacancies exist; the reconciliation has varied year‑to‑year (staff cited prior refunds of roughly $200k–$400k depending on vacancy levels). Staff also noted that significant overtime costs (staff cited roughly $404,000 in police overtime in the most recent year) complicate reconciliation math.

Council direction and next steps

After extended discussion council members asked staff to run forecast scenarios that include hiring one additional officer and the resulting effects on overtime, reconciliation payments and the general‑fund forecast; they also asked to see the potential revenues from near‑term development (e.g., Lake Pointe) and from proposed local funding measures as part of the forecast. Council did not take a formal roll‑call vote to add a position at the Oct. 25 workshop, but several members voiced support for bringing a hiring option back during the forecast review.

Why it matters

Staff warned that, absent new revenues or changes to contracts, continuing contract inflation could create multi‑million‑dollar gaps over the coming decade. Council’s requests for modelled scenarios will determine whether the city can afford an incremental officer now or must phase staffing changes as additional revenues become available.

Evidence from workshop

At 01:43:00 staff presented contract increases and projections; council then debated tradeoffs for roughly an hour and directed staff to model the addition of 1 officer with offsets shown for overtime reduction and reconciliation money.

Ending note

Staff will return with forecast scenarios that include the effect of hiring one officer, and with reconciliation and overtime modelling that shows the net fiscal effect. Council reserved judgment on permanent hires pending those models and upcoming revenue updates.