The voters in Lane County regarding “public safety tax” sent a very clear message, that we do not want an extra income tax. However, just like the sales tax issue, I don't think that they get it.
Not surprisingly, the Lane County Sheriff's Department once again appears to get the brunt of the 250 proposed job cuts, with 100 deputies from the jail, 20 patrol deputies from police services (does that include the traffic team?) and 50 support staff positions including everything from managers to janitors.(250-170=80)
" Captain Thomas Turner with Lane County Sheriff's Office says, "it will only have to be the major calls the most violent the most aggressive that's about the best we can respond to and in a extremely limited capacity."
At any given time there would only be two deputies and one supervisor covering all of Lane County and the cuts would mean the jail will go from about 75 down to just 25 beds available for local offenders. "{KVAL}--
The Lane County Sheriff's office says that they may later consider going without patrols during certain hours of the day.
remember that next time you see a sheriff's deputy sitting on a side road running radar and remind yourself that several years ago they have decided not to respond to burglar alarms.
Other cuts include about 25% of the jobs that are funded by the county's general fund, 25% of the county's road fund and almost half of the jobs funded by the parks fund.
" Without the federal money or an alternative, Burger said, "Lane County becomes a lot less livable and a lot less safe, said Sheriff Russell Burger" "(a great message to send out to the Olympics committee for the Summer Olympics trials soon to be held in Eugene)
Voters did pass a by 56% of the vote a 2% cap on future income taxes.
" Our direction is clear," said Commissioner Faye Stewart, board chairman. "Work with the federal government to get funds, and if that doesn't work, we make the cuts and focus on trying to provide the best services we can for the citizens.
…Voter approval of the tax cap means that the board faces a limit of 2 percent on any future county income tax and the money can only go to public safety, said Stewart. That could hinder the county's ability to use any future income taxes to pay for other services. The board had placed this provision in the ballot language to try to assure residents that income taxes would go only to public safety "{Register Guard}-- (which it should have been in the first place)
in other news...
Oregon Legislature's jump on the predicted $152 million surplus.{Register Guard}--
Sources cited...
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1 comment:
So, according to state economists, there will be $152 Million more dollars to use by the state. Legislators have already figured out how to spend it. Yet they wonder why we have a kicker law. If they didn't have to return some of the tax money we already sent to them, they would spend every penny, have no rainy day fund, and whine about not having enough money. Go figure!
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