By Brenda Erdahl
Cities that contract with the Wright County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services can expect a $5 increase for next year and an additional $5 the following year.
Wright County Commissioners approved the increase 4-1 with Commissioner Jeanne Holland voting no at their regular, Tuesday, June 18 meeting.
The increase will put the city contract rate for Sheriff’s Office services at $110 per hour for 2025 and $115 per hour for 2026.
Commissioners and Sheriff’s Office personnel discussed the contract rates and made a recommendation for County Board approval at a committee of the whole meeting, Monday June 3.
Cities had hoped for a reprieve this year after the board approved a 21 percent increase in 2023 that resulted in a 2024 city contract rate of $105 per hour.
“I just want to comment, from my two cities, especially the City of Albertville. I heard from everyone of those council members and the mayor their disappointment because they thought this was going to be a year of no increases, so I just wanted to pass that on, their disappointment,” Commissioner Holland said.
According to Committee of the Whole minutes, the Sheriff’s Office, County Attorney’s Office and the County Board conducted an in-depth review of the city contract rate in 2023 that revealed the practice of setting contract rates using actual reported expenses, which were reported in March the following the year expensed, resulted in contract rates being two years behind what should be charged, justifying last year’s increase.
The 2025 and 2026 drafted budget forecast a city contract rate deficit of $9.65 per hour at the end of 2026 which led to a request by the Sheriff’s Office for a $5 per hour rate increase in 2025 and another $5 per hour rate increase in 2026.
Commissioner Michael Kaczmarek questioned the justification for the increase during the Committee of the Whole discussion, to which Commissioner Darek Vetsch, according to the minutes, responded union contracts are expected to increase more than 6 percent for cost-of-living adjustments, which alone is justification for the rate increase.