WALLACE — The Wallace City Council discussed the future of the city's contract with the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office during a recent council meeting. 

Shoshone County Sheriff Shawn Wehr attended the workshop.

The city's contract with the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office began in 2024 and runs through 2029. Under the agreement, the SCSO provides the city with a dedicated deputy responsible for patrolling Wallace for a set number of hours and handling calls for service. 

The contract includes annual incremental cost increases. In the first year, the service cost the city $149,800. This year’s contracted amount is $160,286, and by the final year, the city would pay $196,357. 

Wehr said he wants to ensure the city feels it is receiving the level of service it is paying for and would like to strengthen the relationship between his office and Wallace. 

“My intent is for this contract to stay within the sheriff’s office,” Wehr said prior to the council meeting. He reiterated this notion during the meeting. 

In preparation for the discussion, several council members reached out to local business owners and residents to gather feedback on the quality of service provided and the improvements they would like to see. 

Common concerns included cracking down on known drug houses, a perceived lack of patrolling, officer retention, unleashed dogs, adults yelling, mental health issues, a lack of traffic enforcement and a desire for a stronger law enforcement presence in the community. 

The city has also faced a loss of revenue from infractions. Wehr previously explained that, under the contract, fees from citations or tickets written within the city of Wallace are supposed to go to the city. In the past, those funds went exclusively to the county. According to Councilman Dean Cooper, the city’s most recent revenue report was exceptionally low. 

“Law enforcement has been so up and down over the past few years,” Cooper said. “I have been involved in three police contract negotiations and every single time we get promised they’ll check that box, and training’s going to be done so that we get funding for it or we get our revenue back. And every single time, six months later it stops happening and we have to renegotiate.” 

Wehr acknowledged the issue and said the SCSO has changed how it tracks ticketing within Wallace to ensure the city receives the revenue it is entitled to. 

“It matters to us and is important,” Wehr said. 

Mayor Chase Sanborn has formed a committee, including himself and several council members, to review the contract, explore potential alternatives and identify areas where the city would like to see more focused law enforcement efforts. 

“It’s a really good opportunity for both of us,” Sanborn said.