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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.