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Wasco County approves intergovernmental agreement with Hood River County for LEAD deflection program
Summary
Wasco County commissioners unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement to direct state funds from House Bill 4002 to Hood River County, which will lead a Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program to provide treatment and keep eligible people out of jail.
Wasco County commissioners on Feb. 5 approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) to redirect the county’s state allocation under House Bill 4002 to Hood River County so Hood River can operate a Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) behavioral-health deflection program.
Sheriff McGill, who presented the item, said the state funding came through changes tied to Measure 110 and HB 4002 and that Wasco and Hood River counties opted in to receive money for diversion and treatment. “Based on the size of our county, we received a $50,000 allocation to opt into that program,” Sheriff McGill said. He said both counties determined that $150,000 total would not be sufficient to hire program staff and sustain operations, so Wasco and Hood River worked with the Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) to combine their allocations and ask Hood River to be the fiscal lead.
Why it matters: LEAD is a nationally recognized evidence-based program that diverts certain low-level offenders with substance-use disorders away from jail and into treatment and services. The IGA lets Wasco’s state funds flow to Hood River, which will hire staff and operate the program for both counties.
In the presentation, Sheriff McGill said the program is not fully operational but is “about 75%” implemented, with Hood River hiring staff and handling payroll and administration. He described LEAD as an option under the revived Measure 110 framework to keep people with addiction issues out of jail and into treatment, and he referenced other Oregon jurisdictions that have used LEAD for several years.
Commissioners asked whether other counties were sharing programs; Sheriff McGill said he was not certain but mentioned some Eastern Oregon counties had discussed cooperation. Commissioners also asked about a Wasco County obligation in the IGA to provide a 24-hour-accessible “touchdown” office space for program staff; Sheriff McGill said the county expects to use an office in the courthouse, likely the former office used by Tyler Stone.
A commissioner moved to approve the IGA; another commissioner seconded. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote.
Discussion versus decision: the board received a report and then took formal action to approve the IGA; the presentation made clear the program remains being implemented by Hood River as fiscal and hiring lead and that Wasco’s contribution is the redirected state allocation and a local workspace.
