Hayden city leaders said they’re working to resolve a dispute over how much Hayden pays for the sheriff’s office to police the city.

Hayden’s contract with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services expires Sept. 30. Contract negotiations have proved contentious, with some commissioners arguing that Hayden pays too little for its desired level of service and some Hayden leaders questioning just how much the city is getting for its money. 

For fiscal year 2026, Hayden budgeted a little more than $1 million for law enforcement services in the city, while the county anticipated and budgeted roughly $1.3 million. 

During Wednesday night’s public hearing for the county’s budget, Commissioner Bruce Mattare said the county and city have not mutually agreed on the terms of a new contract. For that reason, he proposed moving the $1.3 million to the sheriff’s patrol budget. 

“We came to the table with what we thought was a huge increase over what we gave last year," Hayden Mayor Alan Davis said Thursday. "The commissioner who changed the parameters by which we receive service certainly has added a degree of difficulty.” 

The city council will meet in executive session at 1 p.m. today. During the closed special meeting, they’re expected to discuss the matter of law enforcement services.

“The city needs to address it with some urgency,” Councilor Ed DePriest said. 

DePriest said more data is needed to determine a fair and accurate rate for the services of the sheriff’s office. 

With the cost of KCSO’s services expected to rise year over year, DePriest has said publicly that Hayden ought to consider forming its own police department. 

The contract with the sheriff’s office would, ideally, include eight patrol deputies, a detective, a lieutenant and animal control services, according to a previous Press report.

“There’s a reason why Post Falls, Coeur d’Alene, Rathdrum and many surrounding communities have their own police departments as their primary law enforcement,” he said. 

For the foreseeable future, Davis said the sheriff’s office will continue to provide law enforcement services for the city. 

“Hayden’s going to be safe,” he said. “I’ve talked to the sheriff. We’re going to continue to get great service from our deputies. We just have to get over this hurdle that has been presented in the last couple of months. So far, we’ve not been successful. But we’re going to be.” 

    DePriest