Sheriff’s deputies have patrolled Solvang for more than four decades—since the city incorporated in 1985—but that could soon change as dissatisfied officials explore a new contract that would bring Lompoc police to the Danish-inspired hamlet.
“We don’t believe we’re getting what we’re paying for,” Solvang City Manager Randy Murphy told the City Council this week.
When law enforcement is the city’s largest expenditure and its least accountable budget line item, “then we have a problem that requires attention,” added Olivia Uribe-Mutal, assistant to the city manager.
With the nearby city of Buellton also considering a switch to Lompoc, the dynamics of law enforcement across the Santa Ynez Valley face the potential for a significant shakeup.
In addition, it’s yet another public perception challenge for embattled Sheriff Bill Brown, who in recent months has come under fire for controversial ICE arrests, overtime payroll costs and jail operations.
Brown on Thursday called his department’s relationship with Solvang collaborative, and his spokesperson described it as exemplary.
‘Persistent concerns’
Solvang officials say their frustrations with the Sheriff’s Office contract have grown in recent years.
The city of 6,000 residents has budgeted $3.4 million for law enforcement in fiscal year 2026-27—a 107% increase over the amount paid 10 years ago driven by factors that include deputy raises the city can’t control and county policies that require full cost recovery, Uribe-Mutal said, adding that the uptick hasn’t been gradual or consistent.
Solvang Mayor David Brown broke the cost down per capita.
“That’s five hundred dollars a year per person, regardless of age,” he said. “For a family of four, think of it as two thousand dollars for that family for law enforcement. I’m not sure if I asked anybody out here they’d perceive that value. We’re still buying Ring cameras and everything else, so I’d say no.”
But it’s not just finances that have left Solvang leaders weary.
“The city has experienced persistent concerns about service levels, inadequate traffic and code enforcement, limited accountability to city leadership, inconsistent statistical reporting and unreliable event coverage,” Uribe-Mutal said. “These concerns have been covered formally and informally through the contractual relationship, and they have not been adequately resolved.”
Added Council Member Elizabeth Orona: “My main concern with where we are today is not just cost, but there’s lack of data. There’s no apparent innovation, and there’s no efficiency. With a cost increase we should see efficiency or innovation, and we’re just not.”
The current contract
Solvang’s contract with the Sheriff’s Office pays for one patrol post, effectively one patrol car assigned to the city at all times. Staffing this requires 5.5 full-time-equivalent employees, more than city leaders preferred, and the contract also includes fractional supervision—roughly a fifth of a sergeant position, a sixth of a lieutenant and a tenth of a commander, Solvang officials said.
While the contract covers general traffic enforcement, accident investigations, parking patrol and crime investigations, it doesn’t cover SWAT or bomb squad activities initiated at the city’s request.
The contract also doesn’t include a motorcycle traffic deputy, school resource deputy, community resource deputy or a detective—all options Solvang has forgone.
Sheriff Brown on Thursday described the contract with Solvang as a partnership built on trust.
“The relationship between the Sheriff’s Office and the city of Solvang has been built over many years through collaboration, trust and a shared commitment to excellence in public safety,” Brown said in a statement. “We remain committed to productive conversations that prioritize the needs of the community.”
The Sheriff’s Office noted that, as the county’s largest full-service public safety agency, it’s “able to provide immediate access to specialized investigative units, mental health co-response, air support, tactical teams and forensic services that smaller standalone agencies simply cannot replicate independently.”
In addition, the Sheriff’s Office provides a lieutenant who acts as a chief and engages in regular communication with the city manager and attends city council meetings, said Raquel Zick, sheriff’s spokesperson.
Time will tell what an alternative contract with Lompoc might include—and whether an additional agency in the mix might complicate law enforcement across the Santa Ynez Valley. Sheriff’s deputies would continue to serve unincorporated parts of the region.
Significantly larger than Solvang, Lompoc has more than 43,000 residents. Operating on a budget that’s just shy of $9 million annually, the Lompoc Police Department has 51 sworn positions funded and 25 non-sworn staff members, according to Chief Kevin Martin.
Those numbers caught the attention of Solvang brass, who acknowledged that the quick-math comparison with Solvang’s current $3.4 million bill tilts in Lompoc’s favor.
“We could have a third of his department working in the city of Solvang for the same money,” Murphy said.
What’s next?
The council on Tuesday unanimously gave City Hall staff the go-ahead to formalize talks with Lompoc.
Contract terms will be discussed through the summer, with an agreement potentially ready for council approval by the end of September, officials said.
If it’s approved, the new contract would most likely take effect on July 1, 2027, they said.
On Tuesday, Martin told the council he or a lieutenant would provide Solvang leaders with key metrics monthly. And while he didn’t share any major concerns, he said hiring would be the biggest challenge—indicating it would be helpful to get talks underway.
“To be able to do this, I would have to get recruiting and hiring going pretty quickly,” Martin said. “We’re getting people applying for us left and right, and what a great community to work in—Solvang.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a problem,” he said. “It’s just timing.”
Like Solvang, Buellton has contracted with the Sheriff’s Office since the city’s 1992 incorporation.
Buellton pays an amount comparable to Solvang for Sheriff’s Office law enforcement, with the exception that the city does have a motorcycle deputy, which adds roughly $230,000, City Manager Scott Wolfe said.
And while Buellton is not necessarily on a timeline similar to Solvang’s, Wolfe said he’s participated in talks with Lompoc and Solvang officials, and that he’s gathering information to bring a potential contract switch to the Buellton City Council if and when it makes sense to do so.
But even if Buellton doesn’t follow suit, Solvang this week appeared ready to go it alone.
“The conversation is real and serious,” Uribe-Mutal said. “Buellton’s participation, which would be beneficial… is not a requirement for Solvang to move forward independently.”
