Council authorizes short extension of sheriff contract while independent audit of county cost allocation proceeds

City staff told the council the County's initial December 31, 2025 proposal would have raised Certino's annual cost for sheriff services from roughly $19 million to about $26.5 million; subsequent revisions lowered that figure to approximately $25.44 million, but the increase remained large and raised legal concerns about how administrative and support costs were being allocated to contract cities.

Staff and the city's legal advisers cited Government Code §51350 (commonly referenced as the Gonzales Act in the discussion) which requires counties to allocate to contract cities only costs directly attributable to the contracted services and prohibits charging cities for general overhead that would exist regardless of the contract. Because the county's methodology allocates significant central costs to contract cities, Certino and two neighboring contract cities jointly procured Vasquez & Company to perform an independent assessment of the county's cost‑allocation methodology.

To avoid an immediate service disruption while negotiations and the third‑party review continue, council authorized the city manager to execute a short‑term amendment extending law‑enforcement services through Sept. 30 with a not‑to‑exceed amount of $6.44 million for the extension period (the extension reflects the county's April proposal rates) and directed staff to continue negotiating a long‑term agreement and pursue the independent assessment. The council also discussed service‑level options (for example, a temporary summer reduction of two SROs), but staff reported the county would not accept service reductions in the extension pricing and had not provided cost estimates to calculate savings.

Public comment included multiple Fremont Union High School District staff and principals emphasizing SROs' role in school safety and urging the council not to cut positions. Council members asked staff to pursue potential cost‑sharing with school districts and to return with more detailed information about SRO duties, time allocation across campuses, and possible district contributions.

What happens next: staff will execute the short extension to maintain continuity, complete and review the Vasquez assessment when available, continue negotiations with the county, and return to council with additional data (including memos on SRO duties and possible cost‑sharing arrangements) before any long‑term commitment is approved.