The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office will implement a new contract with the town of Twisp to match those of other jurisdictions the county is overseeing.
“This approach is intended to provide a more equitable distribution of contracting expenses, helping to inform your budget planning for the upcoming fiscal year,” Okanogan County Sheriff Paul Budrow wrote in an email to the mayors of Twisp, Conconully, Okanogan, Pateros and Riverside, all of which are contracting with the sheriff’s office for police services.
The new contract stipulates a charge based on population, distance from the sheriff’s office in Okanogan, and a proportional share for a records clerk. Twisp’s population is assessed at 1,110 residents and is asked to pay $252,181 under that formula.
Twisp already has a police clerk. Twisp Mayor Hans Smith said he is working with the sheriff’s office and county commissioners on details, but said the county would like a standard contract for all jurisdictions they are monitoring.
A copy of the contract between the sheriff’s office and the town of Okanogan stipulates an increase of 100% of CPI for inflation in the western region the precedeing 12 months August to August. The minimum increase is 1% and the maximum is 6%.
A representative from the sheriff’s office will report to the council 12 times a year, or every other meeting. A board consisting of county and town reps will meet at least quarterly. Court services, dispatch, booking and incarceration expenses are covered in a separate agreement. A 120 day notice is required for termination, unless both parties agree otherwise.
The sheriff’s office says it will provide a “minimum average level of law enforcement service effort of 115 hours per week,” to Okanogan, but it is not clear if it would be the same for Twisp.
Except for a few months, Twisp has not had a police force since its police chief, Paul Budrow, was elected sheriff of Okanogan County in 2022. Smith said at the town council meeting on Tuesday that mayors in other parts of Okanogan County are also experiencing difficulties in hiring and retaining a police force.
Twisp has until December 31 to adopt a new contract with the sheriff’s office to continue services.
