A recent letter to the editor, submitted by Mayor Friedel to this newspaper, was titled “Confusion over MCSO contract savings in Fountain Hills.” In his letter Mayor Friedel, in a purported effort to clear up the confusion, claimed, “My meetings with Sheriff Jerry Sheridan resulted in year-over-year savings of 6%, or approximately $370,000.”

Friedel’s claim that his meetings with Sheridan saved the town $370,000 is not supported by the official correspondence  explaining the reduction.

MCSO’s contract with Fountain Hills, and other municipalities that contract for its services, is based on a “cost recovery” model. Essentially, the MCSO recovers the direct cost it incurs in providing law enforcement services and assesses an additional 3% to recover its indirect administrative costs. 

Under the terms of the Agreement in February of each year MCSO must advise the municipalities it serves of the amount they will be assessed for law enforcement services during the upcoming fiscal year. Adjustments to the amount paid for law enforcement services is based on MCSO’s past and projected costs.

Through correspondence dated Feb. 5, 2025, the MCSO advised the Fountain Hills Town Manager that the FY 2026 “Law Enforcement charges” would be $5,759,468.37, a $373,243.21 decrease from FY 2025. The reduction was largely attributed to a decision made by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to pay down unfunded pension liabilities under the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System, resulting in lower personnel costs for MCSO and a corresponding cost reduction for Fountain Hills and other municipalities (including Carefree and Cave Creek) it serves. The reduction was also attributed to vacancy credits, negotiated into the contract during Mayor Dickey’s administration, resulting at the time, in a $722,000 reduction.   

The mayors of Carefree and Cave Creek did not claim credit for this contractual adjustment. Why did ours?

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