The Lane County sheriff’s and district attorney’s offices, primarily funded by local property taxes, are typically the first departments to face cuts, unlike other departments which rely on state or federal funds or fees for service.
In June, the group tasked with looking for ways to fund public safety in Lane County presented four recommendations: look for efficiencies within county government while prioritizing the sheriff and district attorney’s offices and consider a payroll tax, a special taxing district and miscellaneous fees.
On Aug. 7, county commissioners held a two-hour discussion aiming to decide what to do with that report.
The new state revenue forecast, which predicts the state government will be down $888 million in revenue compared to the previous forecast, loomed over the local government conversation.
It’s too early to tell what impact a state funding shortfall will have on county governments, but even without that change, county leaders are hoping to reverse the gradual defunding of the sheriff’s and district attorney’s offices.
Sheriff, DA, say they’re under resourced
Lane County Sheriff’s Deputies and ODOT staff watch as fire crews work to contain the Rice Fire at Mapleton.
Leaders of Lane County divisions focused on public safety (which the task force defined as rural patrol, prosecution, and corrections) said they are under-resourced.
According to a 2022 Oregon State Sheriff’s Association survey, Lane County employs 0.19 enforcement deputies per 1,000 people, and would need to hire 68 deputies (a near-doubling from the current 73) for Lane County’s rate of rural patrol to match the statewide average.
What will outreach look like?
Three of the task force’s four recommendations involved passing a new tax. While county commissioners haven’t definitively said this is what they’ll pursue, it’s unlikely they will reach their funding goals without one.
How to get the community on board with a new tax took up much of the meeting’s discussion.
Commissioners and staff pointed to the county’s 2023 jail levy, which passed, and the 2019 courthouse bond, which failed. They concluded outreach for a new measure should look more like the levy than the bond, meaning town halls, a longer time spent promoting the tax before the election, and a dollar ask that may ultimately be less than the $27 million the funding task force recommended.
Commissioners agreed the Aug. 27 meeting would be the first of what would become monthly updates on progress toward sustainable public safety funding.
Alan Torres covers local government for the Register-Guard. He can be reached byemail at atorres@registerguard.com, on X @alanfryetorres or on Reddit at u/AlfrytRG.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Lane County Commissioners react to sheriff, DA funding report