Washington Terrace hears about sharp sheriff‑contract cost spike as county seeks more deputies
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Summary
At a March 3 work session, Weber County Sheriff officials told Washington Terrace leaders the 2026 contract budget will rise about 4% and include roughly $250,000 in wage increases; the office is proposing about 10 new full‑time deputies, which officials say would raise the city’s coverage to about 0.72 deputies per 5,000 residents from roughly 0.57.
Washington Terrace — Weber County Sheriff’s Office leaders warned March 3 that the city’s 2026 contract for law‑enforcement services will rise sharply as the county seeks to rebuild staffing.
"Wages were up $250,000," said Julie Stoddard during a presentation of the department’s proposed contract budget. Stoddard also said the preliminary numbers reflect about a 4% overall increase that includes wage adjustments. Lt. Sean Endsley said the office is proposing roughly 10 additional full‑time deputies; "the extra FTE’s will bring their staffing level to .72 deputies per 5,000 residents," he said, noting the county uses a formula that weights 60 percent calls for service and 40 percent population to allocate costs among contract cities.
Sheriff Arbon described several years of attrition and said pay and workload contributed to staffing declines that dropped deputy numbers into the 70s, a level he characterized as insufficient to meet current call volumes. "There is not one ounce of profit in the contract cities numbers," Sheriff Arbon said, describing the county’s approach as intended to restore capacity so backup officers can respond in a timely manner.
City Manager Tom Hanson warned the increase will have a major budget impact locally and said the city may need to run truth‑in‑taxation hearings to cover wage costs. "We will be going through Truth in Taxation just to cover the wages for law enforcement," Hanson said, and he urged a phased approach to hiring to smooth the budget impact.
Council members pressed for clearer justification and community messaging. Council Member Zunayid Z. Zishan called the spike "massive" for residents and Mayor Mark C. Allen asked the Sheriff’s Office for a list of services tied to the contracted spending so staff and elected officials can explain the benefits to residents.
Officials emphasized that the county is attempting to improve retention through pay and career opportunities; Chief Josh Gard said the department is now attracting lateral hires and that exhaustion among current deputies creates a retention risk. Stoddard described the proposed staffing increase as about a 26% rise in staffing levels (attributed in the presentation to the ten‑deputy proposal), and Endsley said many operating costs aside from wages remain roughly flat.
No formal action was taken at the March 3 meeting. Sheriff Arbon suggested the mayor host an open house with the Sheriff’s Office to explain services to residents and city staff said the topic will be considered further as the budget process continues.
What happens next: City staff will review the financial proposal and the mayor requested a clear breakdown of services and the expected public‑safety benefits tied to any contract increase; any budget changes would be considered in future hearings, including potential truth‑in‑taxation proceedings.