HomeMy Public PortalAbout2005-031 (03-01-05)Resolution No. 2005.031
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LYNWOOD
REQUESTING THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
UNDERTAKE A FAIR AND COMPREHENSIVE AUDIT OF
SHERIFF'S COSTS CHARGED TO THE CONTRACT CITIES
WHEREAS, The City of Lynwood is one of forty cities in the County that contracts
with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for law enforcement services; and
WHEREAS, The contract cities of Los Angeles County provide significant support
to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department through the reimbursement of additional
costs incurred by the Sheriff in providing extra services to the residents of contract cities;
and
WHEREAS, The County, through the Board of Supervisors, has established a
policy concerning which of the Sheriff's services will be provided on a county-wide basis
and thus are not legally chargeable to the contract cities and has implemented a cost
model designed to determine the amount of the costs appropriately charged to the
contract cities; and
WHEREAS, The provision of specified public safety services on a county-wide
basis for both contract and independent cities promotes a coordinated and seamless
approach to public safety; and
WHEREAS, The importance of inter-jurisdictional cooperation has been
highlighted since the September 11, 2001 attacks; and
WHEREAS, Should the Board adopt the Auditor-Controller's recommendations it
could lead to a reduction in current county-wide public safety services;
WHEREAS, Any such reduction in county-wide public safety services should not
be considered hastily but subject to careful and deliberative debate; and
WHEREAS, The Auditor-Controller of the County of Los Angeles has for decades
annually reviewed those rates that are properly charged to the contract cities; and
WHEREAS, The Auditor-Controller has not undertaken a complete audit of all
areas of Sheriff's costs but rather has confined his audit to those areas which are
considered most likely to result in increases in charges to contract cities; and
WHEREAS, The Auditor-Controller has undertaken to date only a partial review of
Sheriff's Department costs and the various interim reports show numerous revisions and
changes in approach; and
WHEREAS, The Auditor-Controller's approach to date has provided the
appearance of bias and has resulted in a loss of confidence in the process by many
contract cities and their residents; and
WHEREAS, The Auditor-Controller is rushing its selective audit in order to attempt
to propose changes for the 2005-2006 fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, We believe a complete and careful review including areas where
contract cities have been potentially overcharged for Sheriff's services, should at least
require 18-24 months; and
WHEREAS, After the Auditor-Controller completes his present work, fairness
dictates that the contract cities be provided a reasonable opportunity to review and
comment on that work; and
WHEREAS, Failure to provide the contract cities with a reasonable opportunity to
review and verify the findings and recommendations of the Auditor-Controller study, that
result in questionable cost allocations, will inevitably be contested through litigation,
thereby increasing County and municipal legal expenses at a time when revenues are
strained for all local governments; and
WHEREAS, Contract cities earnestly seek to prevent city-county conflict over
Sheriff cost allocations through negotiation; and
WHEREAS, The contract cities fully support the annual review of contract cost
under existing policies but are opposed to a drastic change in current procedures,
methodology and policy; and
WHEREAS, The current partial audit results (not including any changes in the cost
of county-wide services), combined with other potential increases in Sheriff department
costs which are properly billable to contract cities, may result in a double digit percentage
increase; and
WHEREAS, A significant increase in the cost of Sheriff services due to an
incomplete and rushed audit and/or a change in underlying County policy regarding the
scope of county-wide services will result in cities either contracting with other police
agencies or reducing their contract level of services with the Sheriff; and
WHEREAS, A significant increase could also result in a corresponding reduction in
revenue to the County with the result being a probable decrease in total revenue to the
County and a reduction in public safety services to the citizens of the County.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LYNWOOD
DOES HEREBY FIND, PROCLAIM, ORDER, AND RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The City Council requests that the Los Angeles County Board of
Supervisors direct the Auditor-Controller to undertake a complete and thorough review,
not a partial, selective and rushed audit of all aspects of costs and expenses relating to
the Sheriff's delivery of services to contract cities, including areas of potential current
overcharging, and also address the unintended consequences of reduced public safety
services to all of Los Angeles County residents with due deliberation and consultation with
all affected parties and including time for the affected parties to review and verify such
conclusions, as your Board directed in May of 2004.
Section 2. That a certified copy of this resolution be transmitted to each
Member of the Board of Supervisors.
Section 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
2005.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOP~
ATTEST:
ANDREA L. HOOPER, CITY CLERK
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
APPROVED AS TO CONTENT:
TY ATTORNEY ~J~i~
f,'~O~EPH Y. W/~
"-,,.__INTERIM CITY-MANAGER
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
} ss.
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES }
I, the undersigned, City Clerk of the City of Lynwood, do hereby certify that the foregoing
Resolution was passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Lynwood at a
regular meeting held on the 1st dayof Narch ,2005.
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
COUNCILNEN BYRD, PEDROZA, SANTILI.AN, VASqUEZ AND RODRXGUEZ
NONE
NONE
NONE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
ANDREA L. HOOPER, CITY CLERK
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
ss.
I, the undersigned, City Clerk of the City of Lynwood, do hereby certify that the above and
foregoing is a full, true and correct copy of Resolution No. _~n05_1~31 on file in my
office and that said Resolution was adopted on the date and by the vote therein stated.
Dated this 1st day of Narch
ANDREA L. HOOPER, CITY CLERK
2005.