<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1DYwGQ_1Gz98iDa00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1DYwGQ_1Gz98iDa00" width="1662" height="1247" ></figure>(Sidney) -- While still needing county approval, Sidney city officials have given their support to an updated law enforcement contract with the Fremont County Sheriff's Office.At its regular meeting Monday evening, the Sidney City Council reviewed and unanimously approved a proposed 28E agreement for the sheriff's office to continue providing law enforcement services to the community. Sidney Mayor Justin Shirley told KMA News that the city's proposed agreement is similar to the 28E that expired earlier this year, but comes at a cost of $60 per capita to the city rather than roughly $109 per capita. The mayor says the updated figure is more in line with other communities of similar size in the region using their respective sheriff's departments for law enforcement coverage."What Sidney was paying is quite a bit more than the next closest community that I found, and that's Essex with their new contract, and I believe they were around just under $70 per capita," said Shirley. "So us at $109 and them at $70, that's quite a disparity. I know that Tabor, after they changed their law enforcement this year, they entered an agreement with Mills County, and were able to contract with Mills County at around $20 per capita."Shirley says the previous agreement totaled around $114,000 annually and was one of the largest expenditures from the city's general fund. He adds the hope is that the agreement would provide up to 30 weekly patrol hours for the community."I realize for patrol hours and things like that, the city needs to kick in more money to support the department as they're adding extra hours for patrol," said Shirley. "But it hasn't been an equitable agreement, I don't believe, between the county and the city, at least for some time. So we're trying to get that changed."Shirley emphasized that the city is appreciative and grateful for the sheriff's office providing extra patrol hours and coverage for the community over the past several years. But as budgets get tighter for all local governments, he said more negotiation was needed over the cost."It's simply dollars and cents and we all have limited growth right now from a tax-base perspective," said Shirley. "So, we're just trying to make ends meet. I don't want to get that twisted, because (the city is) extremely grateful and I'm extremely grateful for our law enforcement."Shirley says City Attorney Bri O'Hearn was expected to present the updated contract to the county supervisors at their next regular meeting. If ratified by the county, Shirley says the agreement would take effect immediately and run through 2028. He adds that the city also hopes to review the contract every two years moving forward, rather than every five years.</div></body>

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(Sidney) -- While still needing county approval, Sidney city officials have given their support to an updated law enforcement contract with the Fremont County Sheriff's Office. At its regular meeting Monday evening, the Sidney City Council reviewed and unanimously approved a proposed 28E agreement for the sheriff's office to continue...

Sidney council backs updated law enforcement contract

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(Sidney) -- While still needing county approval, Sidney city officials have given their support to an updated law enforcement contract with the Fremont Cou

Sidney council backs updated law enforcement contract

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