Live Oak weighs $1.855 million sheriff contract with reduced patrol coverage

Live Oak City Council members are being asked to weigh a proposed one-year law-enforcement agreement with Sutter County that would cap the city’s cost at $1.855 million while reducing patrol coverage and call response. The proposal is listed as a business item on the Oct. 21 City Council agenda and staff report.

The agreement would cover Dec. 1, 2026, through Nov. 30, 2027, and the city manager’s report estimates approximately $1 million in annual savings from the reduced service levels. The report says the city and county are seeking a replacement for the existing contract after Live Oak gave notice that it would terminate and renegotiate the current agreement, which is scheduled to end Nov. 30, 2026.

Under the proposal, patrol staffing would shift from two deputies on duty around the clock to one deputy on duty around the clock. The staff report identifies a reduction of four deputy positions and the lieutenant position. It also warns that incidents requiring two deputies could have longer response times.

Many lower-priority calls, including civil standbys, noise complaints and traffic-enforcement requests, would generally be referred to Live Oak’s AI answering system, city staff or another agency. The report says those calls could receive a delayed response or no response, depending on the request and available resources. The proposed agreement gives the Sheriff discretion to determine whether a response is warranted and lists calls the department would not ordinarily respond to unless circumstances warrant.

The contract would take effect midway through the city’s fiscal year. City staff said costs could exceed the amount currently budgeted and that any needed budget adjustment would likely be brought forward during the midyear budget review. The report also says the city could incur undetermined costs for transferring lower-priority calls to city systems and staff.

The agenda recommends authorizing City Manager Benjamin Moody to enter the agreement, subject to minor, non-substantive revisions approved by the city attorney. The supplied agenda packet does not record whether the council approved the proposal, and the agreement still requires execution by both parties.