Josephine County leaders pose fixes to legislators
Several members of the Oregon Legislature appeared at Anne Basker Auditorium in Grants Pass on Thursday, April 19 to discuss the county’s pending financial crisis in light of possibly discontinued federal funds.
Rep. Ron Maurer (R-Grants Pass), Rep. Dennis Richardson (R-Central Point), George Gilman (R-Medford) and Sen. Jason Atkinson (R-Central Point) were joined by Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem) and Speaker of the House Jeff Merkley (D-Portland) for the event. It was the first stop in a five-county tour. Lawmakers spent the rest of the weekend visiting towns in Curry, Coos, Douglas and Lane counties, all of which are facing potentially devastating cuts in services.
Rep. Phil Barnhart (D-Eugene), Rep. Tom Butler (R-Ontario), Rep. Terry Beyer (D-Springfield), Sen. Rick Metsger (D-Welches) and Sen. Ted Ferrioli (R-John Day) also attended.
Curry Plight Avoided
Approximately 30 residents attended the legislative workshop. It began with an historical overview by Josephine County Commission Chairman Jim Raffenburg.
Raffenburg explained how the O&C lands, exclusive to Oregon, were originally exempted from federal environmental legislation until a series of court rulings in the 1990s dictated otherwise. As such, Raffenburg said, judicial relief is needed for those lands.
The county has spent the last two years preparing for the funding loss by consolidating its top-heavy management and eliminating positions by attrition, Raffenburg said. Those changes have enabled Josephine County to be better prepared than some neighboring counties.
“Had we not done this, we would be side-by-side with Curry County right now,” Raffenburg said.
Josephine County Chief Operating Officer Marie Hill then brought the legislators up to speed on the financial issues facing the county.
Land Sale Posed
Commissioner Dwight Ellis talked about possible long-term solutions. A proposal by the Association of O&C Counties would set aside 1.2 million acres of the O&C lands for conservation and recreation and sell the other 1.2 million to private timber interests.
That sale would raise approximately $12 billion, which would be put into four trust funds to provide money for the counties and Oregon schools. Such a plan would take between three to five years to implement, Ellis said.
Commissioner Dave Toler reiterated that the county is not looking to the state to solve its problem, but that officials at the local, state and federal levels need to work together on this issue.
Partnership Needed
“We really see this as a partnership,” Toler said.
Ellis explained how voter-passed tax limitation measures have had a detrimental effect on the ability of local governments to collect revenue. For instance, property taxes are collected based on assessed value instead of real market value.
More than 170,000 new homes would have to be added to the county’s tax rolls to make up for the lost federal revenue, Ellis said.
“We are in a hole that we can’t grow ourselves out of,” Ellis said.
He asked the legislators to consider lifting the state’s double majority rule, which requires a 50 percent voter turnout along with a majority vote in order to pass a tax increase.
“We really need that to happen in Josephine County,” Ellis said.
Courtney said he agreed with that sentiment.
State Reform Needed
“This is a monster when it comes to local people and governments,” he said.
Raffenburg suggested that the state directly fund county district attorneys, as persons in those positions are state employees and enforce state laws.
Because state ballot measures put those restrictions in place, Raffenburg said, statewide reforms are sorely needed.
“This can't be corrected at the county level,” Raffenburg said.
Legislators React
Ferrioli expressed tremendous reluctance at changing the double majority requirement.
“I don’t believe the solution lies in that direction,” Ferrioli said, adding that Oregon voters would ultimately have to instigate the change. “They’re the only ones that can unlock that process.”
Raffenburg said that the effects of the funding loss will be visible at a local level in less than a month.
“Things will be different in Josephine County,” he said. “None of us are going to like those differences.”
After the forum, Merkley said he was impressed at how the county has prepared for the funding loss, and that he will weigh the commissioners’ suggestions when he returns to the capitol.
“Some good ideas were put forth that we will be pursuing in Salem,” Merkley said.
