Sheriff's office will relocate operations from courthouse to county jail
Josephine County Sheriff Gil Gilbertson announced last week that he plans to move sheriff’s office operations from the current location at the Josephine County Courthouse to the county jail.
The move is one of many cost-saving measures being considered by Gilbertson’s administration because of possible discontinuation of federal funds threatening the county’s financial future.
A countywide vote-by-mail election on a public safety levy is scheduled for Tuesday, May 15. But Gilbertson said that he is doing everything he can to prepare for a worst-case scenario if it fails.
“We’re being charged for the space at the jail and charged for the space here,” Gilbertson said. “We’ll be reduced to almost nothing, so it’s silly to have two places. It just makes more sense to put everything under one roof.”
Information on rental fees paid the county public works department was not available for this issue.
Gilbertson said he has been considering moving his office “for a while.” A date has yet to be set, but Gilbertson said he wants to do it “as soon as I can.”
“It’s in the planning stages,” the sheriff said.
Although he has yet to determine definitive figures, Gilbertson said that the move will result in “substantial savings,” which will enable him to put more resources toward staffing.
“I would rather spend money on personnel than space,” Gilbertson said. Personnel is what gets the work done.”
Gilbertson said that operating from the jail also will have the effect of improving relationships between correctional and patrol deputies.
“Working this much closer with one another is going to have a bonding effect, if you would,” Gilbertson said. “It’s going to enable them to work better together.”
Gilbertson said that he and his personnel will have less room to work with from the jail, but that taxpayers will be better serviced.
“It’s a tight, confined area, so it’s not going to be comfortable,” Gilbertson said, “but with what we’re facing, I think it’s the only prudent thing to do.”
Other cost-saving measures also are being considered. On Monday, April 9, Gilbertson met with members of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association (DSA) to discuss the terms of employees’ contracts.
DSA agreed to a one-year extension of its current contract with no pay increases. Gilbertson said that the agreement will help buy the agency a little more time until long-term funding issues can be resolved.
“They stepped up and made that recommendation to us,” Gilbertson said. “I applaud them for that.”
