County says incentive-pay accounting error will add $297,000 to Wilsonville law-enforcement contract

Wilsonville, April 6 — Patrick Williams, finance and business services manager for the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, told the City Council that a complex structure of deputy incentive payments was not captured by the county's budgeting software. That omission, coupled with overtime caused when patrol deputies were out on extended leave, produced an unbudgeted overage the county will seek to recover from contract cities.

Williams said, "it's uh $297,000 um that you will be seeing in your budget supplemental um at the next council meeting," and explained that some overtime was driven by deputies out on leave for 30-plus days, which ordinarily shifts cost absorption to the county but left overtime and incentive-pay costs in the city's actual billings. He told council the county has corrected the budgeting software to include incentive payments going forward.

Councilors asked whether the amount represented the first three months or a full-year projection; staff clarified it reflects the projected overage for the entire fiscal year. Williams also said the change will carry into next year and staff estimated "about an 8% increase" to the contract when the supplemental and other cost drivers (including 911 and radio system costs) are included.

The council was told that the county had sought additional county-wide supplemental funding and that the county board previously asked for an additional $4 million after maintaining vacant positions and cutting overtime. Wilsonville staff said a budget supplemental request related to the sheriff's contract will come before council for approval on April 20.