Lane County budget reduces services
EUGENE, Ore. - The agenda called for a 15-minute public hearing, but that wasn't the case Wednesday with the coming fiscal year's budget for Lane County government on the line.
One hot topic that got a partial reprieve: Sponsors, a residential transition program for people recently released from prison.
"When you close down a Sponsors bed, you're going to have more crime here," said Wayne Ford with the Homeless Action Coalition.
By pulling money from reserves and Lane Regional Air Protection Agency fines, the Lane County Board of Commissioners took some of the sting out of a big county cut to the post-prison transition program.
"It'll probably allow us to continue to operate our sex offender housing program which was on the chopping block," said Paul Solomon, executive director of Sponsors.
But the budget plan does call for plenty of cuts in services.
Two deputy district attorneys are gone.
Two sheriff's office patrol officers are gone, reducing rural patrols to less than 24 hours a day. The sheriff will only patrol the county 20 hours per day.
And some of the cuts count on efficiencies that may or may not pan out.
"We're passing this budget on a wing and a prayer," said Commissioner Jay Bozievich, "if we're going to be able to achieve those savings."
Those savings count on reduced costs realized by contracting with private firms for food and medical services in the county jail.
But the sheriff said that might not work - and more cuts may come in jail beds and deputies.
"It's starting to fall apart because of funding," Sheriff Tom Turner said, "but this is something that's been coming for a long time."
"We are digging our hole deeper every year," Commissioner Peter Sorenson. "We are not solving the problem."
Sorenson said the problem is lack of revenue leading to too many cuts.
Commissioner Sid Leiken said the county should look to timber production to boost revenues to the county. Federal timber receipts are shared with counties in lieu of property taxes on public land managed by federal agencies.
"How much harvest on federal public lands are we willing to support?" Leiken said to Sorenseon. "I would ask that question to you over and over again."
Further cost savings could be on the horizon by imposing unpaid furlough days on county departments starting in August.
One bright spot: the county increased its contribution to the Egan Warming Center program.
