Rates OK’d for county justice ops
Voters will decide on district funding plans
From our weekly issue dated June 4, 2008
Permanent rates that would apply if law enforcement service districts are approved by voters were OK’d 2-0 by the Josephine County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, May 27.
Setting the first public hearings for placing the districts proposals on the Nov. 4 ballot was among agenda items for the board’s meeting Wednesday morning in Grants Pass.
On May 27 the board met in Grants Pass a half-hour earlier than usual, said Commissioner Jim Raffenburg. He added that he was not advised by Chairman Dave Toler of the change, and had to leave the meeting before it was concluded, as he had an interview with Radio KAJO.
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Toler and Vice Chairman Dwight Ellis voted April 11 to suspend their participation in the KAJO talk show. Among other factors, they expressed unhappiness with the content of the station’s editorial comments.
The vote on the 27th came after Raffenburg left.
Sheriff Gil Gilbertson said that for voters to fund the proposals, “One cup of coffee a day is what we’re talking about. This is a bare-bones proposal,” he said, “but one that still will allow us to have effective law enforcement for the county.”
The proposals are seen as necessary due to the loss of some $15 million in annual funding from the federal government due to the loss of federal timber payments. Two districts are proposed.
District 1 would involve all residents of the county with a permanent rate of 99-cents per $1,000 assessed valuation.
District 2 would be comprised of county residents who live outside the Grants Pass city limits. It would have a permanent tax rate of $1.09 per $1,000 assessed valuation.
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The sheriff said that the cost projections used to determine staffing and service levels were calculated based on community feedback. Respondents indicated that the top two priorities for the sheriff’s office are 24/7 staffing for patrol deputies, and the ability to operate the jail at full capacity, Gilbertson said.
District 1 would providing funding for:
*Adult jail operations.
*Civil process service.
*Court security.
*Emergency management coordination.
*A Search And Rescue coordinator.
*Law enforcement records.
*Dispatch and Communications staff.
*Administration staff.
District 2 would provide funding for:
*Sheriff’s office patrol deputies.
*Major Crimes Unit detectives.
*Narcotics Unit detectives.
*Contract deputies (BLM, U.S. Forest Service, and Marine Patrol.)
*Evidence and property control services.
*Program and business analyses.
The sheriff said that the effect on property owners with an assessed value of $130,000 would equate to:
District 1: 35-cents per day; $10.73 per month; $128.70 per year.
District 2: 39-cents per day; $11.81 per month; $141.70 per year.
Persons who live outside the Grants Pass city limits would have a total tax effect of 74-cents per day; $22.53 per month; $270.40 per year, Gilbertson reported.
With approval of the districts proposals, the sheriff’s office still would be able to streamline its internal operations Gilbertson told the commissioners.
