Saratoga officials press county for details after 33% sheriff contract proposal; staff offers three‑year ramp

Saratoga — City staff told the City Council at a study session that Santa Clara County proposed a nearly 33% increase to the city’s sheriff contract, effective July 1, 2026, and that Saratoga joined Cupertino and Los Altos Hills in submitting a counterproposal that would phase in increases over three years.

“'The county did submit a proposal, nearly a 33% increase for Saratoga effective 07/01/2026,'” said Leslie, a city staff member leading the contract negotiations. Leslie said the cities have asked the county to demonstrate how its proposed cost structure complies with California Government Code §51530 and requested more granular cost data behind large line items.

Ryan, the city’s finance staff member, told the council the proposed increase creates a “real fiscal cliff,” estimating the city faces roughly $3,000,000 in additional contract costs under the county’s proposal. Ryan said refined capital‑project adjustments have trimmed that pressure closer to $2,000,000 but cautioned that cutting operating and capital spending to absorb a $3 million increase is “not realistic.”

The council and staff described the counterproposal filed with the county as a three‑year ramp: a roughly 12% increase in fiscal year 2026–27, followed by salary‑adjustment years tied to the sheriff’s MOU and phased allocations of remaining overhead in subsequent years. Leslie said the cities proposed holding off on fully funding the county’s overhead allocation until the county provides the requested detail on how overhead is calculated.

Several council members pressed staff for concrete data. One council member noted the county’s materials included an unexplained nearly $8,000,000 “service and supplies” line with no breakdown, and asked for scenarios showing what a 10%, 20% or 30% reduction in costs would look like. Staff said they had asked for those scenarios and requested a formal county response by Monday the 30th.

During public comment in the chamber, resident Glenn urged the city to elevate the matter to Santa Clara County supervisors, arguing supervisors’ budget direction is driving the increase and recommending a cap on annual contract growth. “The ad hoc committee of mayors needs to be talking directly with the county supervisors,” Glenn said, urging officials to seek a 10–12% annual cap and to document traffic‑enforcement metrics before cutting services.

Captain Val Wheeler of the sheriff’s office described traffic deputies’ responsibilities — targeted enforcement, school‑zone support, parking complaints and traffic‑accident response — and warned that reducing the specialized traffic unit would affect response capability and training. The captain gave the office’s target response times as approximately five minutes for life‑threatening (priority 1) calls, about seven minutes for priority 2 calls and roughly nine to 11 minutes for priority 3 calls, and said the department typically meets those targets.

Council members emphasized public safety as their top priority while also pressing for transparency on the county’s accounting and exploring alternatives. Staff said the three cities have discussed possible alternatives, including contracting with the Los Gatos Police Department or other models used by neighboring cities; officials cautioned such changes would be medium‑ to long‑term and are not immediate solutions.

The staff report noted the cities retained Singer Associates for communications, published a joint op‑ed in the Mercury News and launched an informational website in March. Leslie said legal review on the staff report is being handled by Cupertino’s city attorney and that the cities are collaborating on negotiation strategy. The council directed staff to continue negotiations, to seek the county’s requested cost breakdown, and to bring options back as part of the budget process.

No formal motions or votes were taken at the study session. The council closed the meeting after setting follow‑up steps and said it will consider the sheriff contract and related budget decisions during the upcoming budget deliberations.