Sheriff asks board to delay approval of Vallejo policing contract, citing incomplete union meet‑and‑confer and logistical hurdles

Sheriff Thomas Ferraro asked the Solano County Board of Supervisors to delay formal approval of a proposed one‑year contract under which the Solano County Sheriff’s Office would provide temporary law‑enforcement assistance to the City of Vallejo.

Why the sheriff recommended postponement Ferraro told the board the City Council in Vallejo approved the city’s side of the contract on June 17 and the county received a written confirmation from the Department of Justice that the county is not a party to Vallejo’s stipulated DOJ agreement. But the sheriff said the county has not completed a formal meet‑and‑confer process with the Deputy Sheriffs Association (DSA) and with SEIU for dispatch personnel — a legally required bargaining step for proposed changes that affect wages or working conditions. Ferraro also flagged operational constraints such as vehicle procurement lead times and a recent Human Resources/CalPERS review that he said could require reductions in permitted retired‑annuitant assignments, which would reduce staffing options.

“As I said, up until March of this year… I didn’t think this would…