County taking stance for 'worst-case' scenerio
County Committee working with two sets of figures in face of fiscal catastophe
Josephine County officials began the first in a series of Budget Committee meetings Thursday, April 26 at Anne Basker Auditorium in Grants Pass.
Most years, officials would be tasked with making sense of a single budget document. But continued uncertainty over federal funding and a proposed public safety levy on the May 15 ballot has forced the writing of two separate budgets with differing service levels.
During the April 26 meeting, county Chief Financial Officer Rosemary Padgett stated that neither budget contains the expectation of federal O&C funds, which the county has relied on for more than 70 years to fund basic operations.
“We do not expect to see that money,” Padgett said. “There is no expectation of O&C in this budget.”
Padgett said the Service Level 1 budget, which assumes failure of the levy, includes an interfund transfer of $4.8 million to the county’s public safety fund.
“This is a one-year solution,” Padgett said.
Sheriff Gil Gilbertson said that under Level 1, his department has a gap of $87,000 for jail medical service.
Under the Level 2 budget, the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) has a total of 100 full-time employees, as opposed to the 46 it would be able to retain under Level 1.
According to county documents, JCSO would have zero patrol deputies and 29 full-time jail employees under Level 1. Under Level 2 it would have 29 patrol deputies and 46 full-time jail employees. JCSO’s civil division would lose half its staff and no detectives would be available to respond to homicides, rapes or burglaries under Level 1, according to the documents.
Overtime for JCSO deputies is not budgeted under Level 1, Gilbertson said. He added that JCSO is currently down 15 full-time employees due to budget uncertainty. Many have resigned because of an uncertain future.
The sheriff said that under Level 1, JCSO would spend $400,000 less on dispatch. Such service wouldn’t be necessary, as there would be no deputies to respond, and calls would have to be referred to another agency.
District Attorney Stephen Campbell said that his department would have no money for extraditions under Level 1, but $10,000 is allocated for that purpose under Level 2. The state provides limited resources for extraditions in extreme cases, Campbell said.
During the last year, the D.A.’s office prosecuted 1,975 felonies and 3,201 misdemeanors. Under the Level 1 budget, Campbell said, his office would be able to prosecute 500 felony cases and residential burglary cases, but would be unable to prosecute an estimated 4,676 cases.
Budget Committee member Charlie Didato said he is concerned because few members of the public attended the meeting. He also emphasized the importance of having the county become self-sufficient and not relying on the federal government for funding.
“This is not the time to go to Big Brother with our hand out like we always have,” Didato said.
Committee member Brian Bayley said that the county could ultimately be held liable for not providing basic services.
The Josephine County Budget Committee has scheduled meetings for Thursdays, May 3 and 10 from 4 to 6 p.m.; and Thursday, May 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Anne Basker Auditorium.
On May 3, the committee will discuss the budgets for the county’s library, public works and public health departments.
