Fountain Hills announces drop in law enforcement costs without reduced service

A law enforcement contract between Fountain Hills and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office will drop in cost in the upcoming year without any reduction in service.

BY ROXANNE DE LA ROSA

Feb 11, 2025, 4:30 AM Updated: 9:17 am

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PHOENIX — A law enforcement contract between Fountain Hills and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office will drop in cost in the upcoming year without any reduction in service.

Last week, town officials were advised that the price of MCSO law enforcement services for the 2026 fiscal year would fall more than $370,000 from this year’s cost.

The savings will help address other needs within the northeast Valley suburb.

How did Fountain Hills get law enforcement costs down?

“I am pleased to announce that the MCSO contract for Fountain Hills residents will go down roughly 6%,” Mayor Gerry Friedel said in a press release.

Soon after being sworn into office earlier this year, Friedel met with Sheriff Jerry Sheridan to discuss the town’s arrangement with MCSO.

“I expressed the concerns I had with the contract, and to say he listened would be an understatement!” Friedel said. “This is a win for our entire community. I’m thankful to him and the men and women of MCSO, who work tirelessly to keep our community among the very safest in the state. My law enforcement committee will be meeting soon so stay tuned for more exciting developments.”

The new contract price will go into effect in July without reductions to staff or service. The decrease in the cost of the contract was attributed to lower prices in MCSO employee benefits.

“Fountain Hills is a tremendous community and MCSO is a huge part of making that happen,” Town Manager Rachael Goodwin said. “We look forward to another great year with them as not only our law enforcement partner, but an integral part of the community at large.”