Josephine County finances shaky
Last week, President Bush vetoed an emergency appropriations bill, which included funding for continuing combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a one-year extension of the federal county payments plan.
The legislation also carried a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, a major point of contention for Bush.
However, the veto, Bush’s second as president, has cast greater uncertainty over Josephine County’s delicate fiscal situation.
During their Wednesday, May 2 meeting, Josephine County commissioners addressed the continued standoff between Bush and the Democrat-controlled Congress. The county board also expressed disgust with the behavior of the nation’s federal representatives.
“Our president has abandoned the people of Josephine County,” said Commissioner Dave Toler.
Commission Chairman Jim Raffenburg, who has traveled to Washington, D.C. twice during the past six months to lobby for O&C funds, said that the executive and legislative branches of the federal government have become an “embarrassment” to the country.
“We really have a very dysfunctional federal government,” Raffenburg said. “I hope they get their act together.”
Also unknown at this point is how the state government plans to react to the funding loss, which will affect half of Oregon’s 36 counties.
Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley (D-Portland) and Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem) were among a dozen legislators who visited Josephine and other affected counties on April 19 to learn about the effects of the federal funding loss.
“We’re grateful for the legislative side of the government of the state for coming down,” Raffenburg said.
A meeting between Raffenburg, Merkley and Courtney has been scheduled for May 16, the day after Josephine County residents will vote on proposed public safety levy.
Gov. Kulongoski traveled to the U.S. capital last month to meet with Oregon’s federal delegation and the White House Legislative Affairs Office. Kulongoski spokesman Anna Richter-Taylor described the meetings as “productive.”
“The governor is still optimistic, and he’s still exploring options with how the state can assist should there not be reauthorization,” Taylor said.
Taylor said that the veto was related to other issues and not the county payments legislation, and that “there are still a number of vehicles on the table” for resolving the problem.
“The veto was certainly a disappointment, but it wasn’t unexpected,” Taylor said. “The veto isn’t indicative of the fate of the bill.”
In anticipation of the federal funding loss and possible levy failure, Josephine County held workshops last week with employees to prepare them for layoffs, which could occur as soon as June 1.
During the workshops, employees had opportunities to speak with representatives of the Job Council and Oregon Employment Dept. to plan for the immediate future.
“It’s going to be a devastating thing for them, and we feel some of that pain,” Toler said. “We sure don’t want to do it, but if we don’t have the money, we don’t have much choice.”
Should the levy fail, Toler said, notices would be sent to employees on Wednesday, May 16, and another similar workshop would be scheduled.
Raffenburg said that another levy could be put on a Sept. 18 ballot “if it gets to that point.” The county’s budget committee would need to approve such a course of action, which would require four votes from that body.
There would be logistical difficulties involved with a September levy, Raffenburg said. They would include providing adequate public notice and certifying the election results in time to pass a supplemental budget if that levy passes.
