County chairman plan for budgeting denied
In the face of an allocation dispute, Josephine County residents packed Anne Basker Auditorium in Grants Pass on Wednesday evening, June 13 to provide input to members of the county Budget Committee.
The committee had met on June 7 to consider the 2007-08 fiscal year, which will begin July 1. A “Service Level 1” budget had been passed by the committee on May 17, but the last-minute infusion of approximately $12 million in federal funds prompted the committee to reconvene on June 7.
Dave Toler, vice chairman of the county board of commissioners, had said that the county would put $6 million of the federal dollars toward its criminal justice system, with the rest going to a reserve fund.
However, Jim Raffenburg, county commission chairman, presented his own budget plan during the June 7 meeting.
Raffenburg’s proposal involved combining the $12 million in federal funding with a previously approved $4.8 million general fund transfer for a combined two-year budget of $16.8 million. Under that plan, the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) would have been budgeted at $7.6 million for the ‘07-’08 fiscal year, rather than the $9.8 million under the alternate plan.
During the June 13 meeting, Sheriff Gil Gilbertson characterized Raffenburg’s proposal as “reckless.”
Under that budget, Gilbertson said, JCSO would be unable to deal with property crimes or provide patrols, and would have 10 fewer jail deputies. As such, the jail would be limited to housing 30 local offenders, down from the current level of 100.
Raffenburg defended his plan, saying that if all the federal money was spent this year, the county would have to ask for a tax increase to make up the difference if those dollars were discontinued.
District Attorney Stephen Campbell said that under Raffenburg’s plan, he would have three fewer deputy district attorneys to handle cases.
Raffenburg’s budget proposal allocated $1.3 million to the D.A.’s office, rather than the $1.7 million under the alternative plan.
“We need stability in our office,” Campbell said.
Campbell said that recruiting top talent to his office would be much more difficult under Raffenburg’s plan, and that his staff’s overall skill and experience levels would drop.
Janine Wilson, Juvenile Justice Division manager, defended funding for that program’s shelter facility, which was eliminated under Raffenburg’s proposal.
“I believe the shelter is a much-needed component of public safety,” Wilson said.
Raffenburg’s plan called for a $1.3 million Juvenile Justice budget, down from the $2.3 proposed under the alternate budget.
Bill Landis, a commander with the Grants Pass Dept. of Public Safety (GPDPS) testified to the importance of the shelter facility. He stated that 400 juveniles were transported there last year.
The shelter facility is vital in helping GPDPS deal with minor in possession, runaway and curfew violation cases, Landis said.
Urging full funding, Toler stated that the Juvenile Justice Dept. is the “shining star” of the county’s overall criminal justice system.
County residents then gave an earful to committee members during the public hearing portion of the meeting. U.S. Observer publisher Ed Snook used the opportunity to criticize Campbell’s performance in office.
“We do not have a good D.A.,” Snook said.
Snook accused Campbell’s office of false prosecutions, but reiterated his support for Gilbertson and Undersheriff Don Fasching.
“I want them to be funded,” Snook said.
However, Snook said that he would hold the commissioners “personally responsible” if they didn’t cut Campbell’s budget.
Longtime activist Paul Walter echoed Snook’s comments.
“If you prosecute the real crimes in the county, you don’t need eight deputy D.A.s,” Walter said. “Cut (Campbell) to the bone and give it to the sheriff.”
Former commissioner Tony Corriea pleaded with committee members not to seek another levy, stating that the cost of living has risen during the last 30 years he’s lived in the county.
Corriea said that public reaction against the commissioners would be very strong if another levy were pursued.
“You are almost certain to be recalled if there’s another levy,” Corriea said. “I think there’s other ways of doing this.”
Will Schacher, an announcer with local radio station KLDR, suggested that the county not single out property owners as a means of raising revenue. He said county officials should hold a “will of the people” forum to solicit ideas from the public.
“We’ve got a lot of brilliant people here,” Shocker said. “It’s up to the citizens of Josephine County to step up to the plate right now.”
After the public hearing, Budget Committee Chairman Ron Strom expressed support for Raffenburg’s proposal.
“It’s a bit of a gamble to go with the O&C (federal monies) budget and hope for the best,” Strom said.
Commissioner Dwight Ellis praised Gilbertson for his performance in office, and said that the county should give the sheriff what he needs to do his job.
“I have confidence in our sheriff,” Ellis said. “We have to come up with a plan to help him.”
Toler reiterated that he considered Raffenburg’s plan “unsafe for the public.”
Ellis then moved to approve the original budget plan, and Toler seconded the motion. That motion passed 4-2, with Raffenburg and Strom voting “No.”
A public hearing for the approved budget was scheduled for Wednesday, June 20 at 6 p.m. at Anne Basker Auditorium in Grants Pass. The budget will be considered for adoption Wednesday, June 27 at 9 a.m. at the same location.
