May 5, 2026
Police Department
DATE: May 5, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Timothy Simmons, Chief of Police
Subject:
Agreement with Contra Costa County Animal Services
Department for Ongoing Animal Control Services
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed $1,527,595 expenditure for fiscal year 2026-2027 will be included within the proposed fiscal
year 2026-2027 Police Department operating budget.
Funding for the additional three-year extension period
(fiscal years 2027-2028, 2028-2029, and 2029-2030) will be budgeted accordingly in subsequent fiscal year
budgets (Account String: 01191021-400221).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
November 4, 2025
September 10, 2024
November 28, 2023
July 19, 2022
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Richmond Police Department maintains an ongoing
agreement with the Contra Costa County Animal
Services Department for animal control. The agreement
automatically renews for successive three-year periods
until either party terminates the agreement. City staff are seeking City Council approval to extend the agreement to align with the County’s three-year cycle.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE a contract with Contra
Costa County Animal Services Department in an amount
not to exceed $7,200,000 for the continuation of Animal Control Services for Fiscal Year 2026–2027, with an
additional three-year term for Fiscal Years 2027–2028,
2028–2029, and 2029–2030, for a total contract term of
July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2030 – Police Department (Chief Timothy Simmons 510-621-1802).
AGENDA
REPORT
May 5, 2026
DISCUSSION:
The City of Richmond entered into a City-County Animal Services Agreement (Agreement) with the Contra Costa County Animal Services Department (County) to provide State-mandated animal-related services to the City’s residents (Attachment 1).
The Agreement began on July 1, 2022, and had a two-year term with an ending date of June 30, 2024. The Agreement provides for automatic renewal for successive three- year terms until either party terminates the Agreement by giving the other party 90-days advance written notice of termination. On November 28, 2023, City Council approved an amendment to the Agreement to correct section 13.a.iiii regarding calculation of the annual fee.
The County calculates the annual fee using the following formula set forth in Section
13.a. of the Agreement, as amended:
i. For fiscal year 2022-2023, $7.97 for each person residing within the City limits as of January 2022. For example, if the City’s population is 50,000, the Annual Fee is $398,500.
ii. For fiscal year 2023-2024, $9.11 for each person residing within the City limits as of January 2023. For example, if the City’s population is 50,000, the Annual Fee is $455,500.
iii. For each fiscal year thereafter, the per capita rate for the Annual Fee shall be calculated using the following formula: (A) the County’s budgeted cost to provide Animal Services throughout the County in that fiscal year, minus the sum of animal licensing fees and user fees projected to be received from all County residents in that fiscal year, minus the budgeted County general fund contribution for that fiscal year, divided by (B) the sum of the population of all cities for which the County provides Animal Services. For example, if the budgeted cost to provide Animal Services throughout the County is $12,640,000, the animal licensing and user fees projected to be received are $1,620,000, the budgeted general fund contribution is $4,112,000, and the population is 866,583, then the per capita Annual Fee would be $7.97 per capita [$12,640,000 - $1,620,000 - $4,112,000) / 866,583]. For a City with a population of 100,000, the total Annual Fee would be $797,000.
The calculation of the annual fee is based on the City’s population according to the California Department of Finance Demographic E1 report published at the beginning of each Calendar year. For this reason, the City could not accurately estimate the total amount due when the agreement was first taken to City Council on July 19, 2022.
September 10, 2024, City Council approved funding in the amount of $1,374,703 for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 and ratified the extension of the contract term through June 30, 2025. On November 4, 2025, City Council approved funding in the amount of
May 5, 2026
$1,403,221 for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 and ratified the extension of the contract term through June 30, 2026.
In a letter addressed to City Manager Shasa Curl on February 27, 2026, the Animal Services Department stated the following (Attachment 3):
Per section 13.a.iii. in the City-County Services Agreement (attached), the city fees are the total County fiscal year (FY) cost to provide Animal Services, minus animal licensing and user fees, and minus the County General Fund contribution.
The information below details the values for FY 2026/27:
Total County Animal Service Cost $19,467,987
Total Licensing and User Fee Revenue $1,663,000
Total General Fund Contribution $6,165,512
Total City Contract Fees $11,639,475
The total per capita cost for each city for FY 2026/27 is $13.45. Based on your city’s population according to the California Department of Finance Demographic E1 report, as released May 2025, the City contract cost for animal services in FY 2026/27 is $1,527,595.
Due to the estimated expenditure amount, Department staff must receive approval from City Council prior to receiving services for any new period. Section 14.a. of the Agreement provides that the term of the Agreement has an original two-year term starting July 1, 2022, and automatically renews for successive three-year periods thereafter until either party terminates the Agreement. Except for the original two-year period starting July 1, 2022, staff has sought approval on an annual basis, but given the amount of staff time and effort, and to align with the County’s three-year cycle, staff proposes approving the final year of the first three-year period, plus a new three-year period (a total of four years), for a total additional cost estimated not to exceed $7,200,000 based on historical cost extrapolation. Note that the County assesses the City’s annual fees based on factors that vary from year to year. Accordingly, annual costs for each year cannot be determined for certain until the County completes its assessment and informs the City of the annual fees, which typically occurs during the first quarter of each calendar year.
The City of Richmond Police Department staff believes the County services are the most economically feasible way to provide animal control services to its citizens and therefore asks that Council approve funding in the amount of $7,200,000 for Fiscal Years 2026-2027, 2027-2028, 2028-2029, 2029-2030 by approving the extension of the contract term through June 30, 2030.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Original Agreement
Attachment 2 – Amendment to the Agreement
Attachment 3 – Fiscal Year 2026-2027 City Fee Letter