Dolores Approves 2026 Policing Contract, Cost and Coverage Questions Remain

Dolores officials cleared a major hurdle this week when the town and county approved a 2026 contract that funds one dedicated deputy for the town. The Town Board voted unanimously Monday night and Montezuma County commissioners gave a unanimous vote Tuesday morning. The contract now awaits Sheriff Steve Nowlin’s signature after a final review by his attorney.

The agreement sets the town payment at $143,000 for one full time deputy, down from $275,000 that the town paid for two deputies in 2025. Town Manager Leigh Reeves said the town could not afford an earlier $286,000 proposal and worked with county staff on several revised drafts to reflect the town’s fiscal limits. The contract takes effect January 1, 2026 and runs through December 31, 2026 with an option for annual renewal.

Under the contract the Sheriff’s Office will provide 40 hours per week of dedicated patrol time in Dolores, enforce municipal and traffic ordinances including liquor and marijuana licensing, and submit monthly written reports and board updates. The town will supply office space for a Dolores substation while the Sheriff’s Office will provide equipment, labor and supervision. The town remains responsible for municipal case prosecution and jail bookings at a little more than one hundred dollars per day.

County commissioners pressed for clarity on workload balance between the town and unincorporated communities. Commission Chair Jim Candelaria said he wanted to ensure deputies would not spend disproportionate time in town so other areas do not lose coverage. He said, "Because looking at the numbers, you know, Steve, just to make sure we are obviously giving them what they are paying for but not so much extra, because we have the unincorporated part of the county that we need to focus on too." He added, "I guess, that’s my biggest rub is, that, if we are giving, now we are able to track this and see the time and hours that are spent there. I am asking … that we need to take care of the incorporated part of the county to not have so many hours that are in Dolores that are not being paid for."

Sheriff Nowlin said the Sheriff’s Office continues to serve countywide and disputed that incorporated areas are neglected. He said, "The incorporated part of the county is not being neglected at all," and noted he did not know how the $143,000 figure had been calculated. He said, "I don’t know what the expenses are for $143,000, maybe you can tell me where that came from."

The approval follows a contentious multi year negotiation history. A March 2025 analysis by KRW Associates recommended clearer itemized cost justifications and more consistent communication after prior proposals and equipment add ons left the town without a signed contract in 2024. For residents the immediate changes mean lower direct costs for the town, but also fewer on duty deputies based in Dolores, making monthly reporting and transparent tracking of patrol hours central to evaluating public safety impacts.