Lane County staff on Oct. 20 updated the Board of County Commissioners on the county’s newly formed public safety funding work group and next steps to evaluate recommendations from a resident task force.

What staff reported: County administrator staff said a resident task force met for more than a year and made recommendations that included pursuing efficiencies, a multilayered funding approach and considering new revenue options such as a payroll tax or a special district. An internal work group — including the sheriff, the district attorney, community justice leadership and county staff — will take the next steps to refine options for the board.

Polling and outreach: staff said the next step is a scientific, representative poll of the county’s voting population to test public sentiment on narrowed options and price points. Staff expect to field the poll in November and return results before the end of the calendar year to inform board direction.

Board schedule and related work: staff asked commissioners to hold Dec. 16 for a budget prioritization conversation with department heads. The board also has work sessions scheduled Nov. 18 and Dec. 9 to continue the public safety conversation. Commissioners suggested parallel work sessions focusing on sheriff and district attorney budget options and asked staff to prepare preparatory materials.

Context and urgency: staff reiterated long‑term funding pressures — a roughly 90% decline in federal timber‑related revenue over 20 years, a comparatively low county property tax rate set under earlier state limits, and costs that have risen faster than local revenues. County leaders said they are already allocating nearly $5 million over two years from local dollars to cover state funding shortfalls for jail beds and reentry supports.

Next steps: staff will select a polling firm, field a representative poll in November, and continue qualitative outreach (focus groups, community meetings) as appropriate. The board requested additional preparatory work and indicated interest in regular updates as the work group narrows options for possible community engagement and board direction.

Ending: Commissioners generally supported the approach, asked for targeted work sessions to dig into sheriff and DA program details, and emphasized the need to balance speed with careful analysis before seeking public input on specific funding mechanisms.