FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 18, 2023
CONTACT:
Richard Thomas, Mayor
Email: rthomas@cityofwillows.org
Phone: (530) 514-0754
City of Willows and Glenn County Sheriff’s Office reach temporary agreement ensuring law enforcement services through December 2023
Willows, CA – After an emergency Special City Council meeting on the afternoon of Monday, October 16, the Willows City Council concluded by agreeing to pay the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office half of its proposed budget for this fiscal year, or $1,285,306, ensuring law enforcement services through December 31, 2023.
“While this temporary agreement is only a first step in moving forward to rebuild the City’s police department, the Council is committed to ensuring public safety services to the community. Providing critical law enforcement services is a high priority and the most crucial service that local government can provide its citizens,” stated Mayor Thomas and Public Safety Council Ad Hoc Committee Member.
The temporary contract includes full law enforcement, dispatch, and animal care services. Concurrently, the City and Sheriff will continue to work on a future long-term agreement as the city transitions back to a full-service police department. To that end, the city will recruit an Interim Police Chief to start the process of rebuilding the City’s police department.
“I’m pleased that we’ve been able to reach a temporary amicable agreement with the Sheriff’s Office. The Council will not leave the residents, business and property owners, and visitors of Willows without law enforcement services,” commented Councilmember Hansen and Public Safety Council Ad Hoc Committee Member.
In addition to the city’s efforts to stabilize both its short- and long-term public safety services, the city must increase its revenue generation so that it may provide critical city services now and into the future.
“The City of Willows now faces a $1.5 million structural or ongoing budget deficit starting with this fiscal year 2023-24. There is no fat to cut. There is no other spending to control. The City needs the 1% sales tax already slated for the March 2024 ballot in order to balance future budgets and avoid deep cuts in city services,” added City Manager Brown.
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