Deschutes County commissioners take positions on multiple Salem bills, prioritize corrections and housing infrastructure funding

Deschutes County commissioners on March 7 agreed on formal positions or monitoring stances for a range of state bills, backing additional community corrections funding and workforce-reentry programs while opposing an expansion of prevailing-wage coverage and expressing caution on some housing and energy proposals.

The board designated a priority support position with an amendment for House Bill 5004, the Department of Corrections funding request, asking the Legislature to increase per‑person funding for community corrections to $18.18 per day. Commissioner Tony DeBoehn opened the meeting, and county staff described the change as intended to bring community corrections closer to the “actual cost” study level; one staff member said the governor’s recommended figure was “around $16 a day” and that the requested amendment would raise it to $18.18.

Why it matters: county officials said full funding of workload or actual‑cost studies would reduce reliance on local general fund contributions. Paul Partridge and Paula Harris, speaking for behavioral‑health interests, also asked for county support of the Ways and Means budget bill (Senate Bill 5526) to address intellectual and developmental disability funding…