Sisters, sheriff sign police contract

Patrol cars from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office will prowl the streets of Sisters for the next three years.

The City of Sisters has renewed its contract for police services with the Deschutes County Sheriff.

The contract covers the next three years with an annual $356,694 price tag and an additional five percent increase each year.

In the last two years the annual sum has increased by more than $50,000.

The agreement is effective July 1, 2005 and terminates June 30, 2008.

The agreement pays for law enforcement within the corporate limits of the city — 120 hours of weekly patrol coverage within the city — and provides a monthly report to the city of all law enforcement activities occurring within the Sisters School District.

The city agrees to pay a monthly sum of $29,724.50 toward the annual amount and grants full municipal police authority.

At the Thursday, April 28, city council meeting, the council voted unanimously to approve the contract agreement.

“We expect to collect $478,000 in current property taxes,” said City Manager Eileen Stein.

“Of that we’ll spend $350,000 paying the sheriff. So we’ll have $100,000 for the streets.”