Josephine County trims proposed cuts, increases sheriff funding to restore 24/7 patrols

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners voted 2–1 on Wednesday to adopt the 2025–26 county budget with amendments designed to prioritize public safety and restore round‑the‑clock sheriff patrols.

The board approved resolution 2025‑2027 with changes that reduced the proposed general fund allocation cut from 12% to 5%, exempted the juvenile division and the Veteran Service Office from the reduction, reallocated Title 1 road dollars from Public Works to the sheriff's budget, and increased the sheriff's authorized expenditures by $503,200 to support restoration of 24/7 patrols. The motion passed with Commissioners Smith and Barnett voting yes and Commissioner Black voting no.

Why it matters: Restoring full patrol coverage and adding investigative staff were recurring themes in a weeks‑long public discussion. Numerous residents and school and veterans representatives asked commissioners to fund an additional school resource officer and to increase patrol and detective staffing so the sheriff's office can respond across the county's 1,600 square miles.

Public testimony included a wide range of safety arguments. Jessica Knaebel, representing the 3 Rivers School District, urged the board to fund a second school resource officer to ensure consistent presence and faster response across 17 campuses; she said the district's geography makes a single SRO insufficient. John Knapp, a public safety advocate, told the board homeowners are paying roughly $5.46 million collectively to support the law enforcement district and urged the county to deliver the promised patrol services. Mark Jones, a resident, asked the board to "follow through" and provide the additional $750,000 he said would restore the sheriff's staffing targets.

Commissioners and county staff debated several technical and policy points during deliberations. Commissioner Barnett argued the county must balance fiscal prudence with public safety and said negotiations with the sheriff produced a proposal that would return 24/7 patrols while keeping the county's finances in the green. "I think we're going to move in a positive direction to restore these 24/7 patrols," Barnett said.

Commissioner Smith said detectives are a high priority and endorsed restoring multiple detective positions along with the school resource officer. Director Ruth Nelson, the county's budget officer, clarified staffing numbers: the budget officer's original proposal included an increase of 2.5 full‑time equivalents (FTE); the board's amendment authorized an additional increase (the motion was read as an additional 3 FTE tied to the $503,200 increase) and staff confirmed the amendment as stated.

Commissioner Black opposed the motion, objecting to reallocation of Title 1 road dollars from Public Works to law enforcement and expressing concern about exempting certain departments from reductions. "Stealing it, essentially, from one department... I don't think is the right way to go," Black said during debate.

The board's amended budget also exempted other public‑safety related accounts (district attorney, court facilities) and several reserve categories from the 5% reduction, per a clarifying amendment. County staff said the final package keeps the county in surplus while targeting funds to patrols and investigator positions; any unspent sheriff allocations revert to the general fund.

Votes and formal action: Motion to adopt resolution 2025‑2027 with amendments (reduce general fund cuts from 12% to 5%; exempt juvenile and VSO; reallocate Title 1 road funds; increase sheriff authorized expenditures by $503,200 and associated FTEs) passed 2–1 (Commissioner Smith: Yes; Commissioner Barnett: Yes; Commissioner Black: No).

Looking ahead: Commissioners said they may consider a supplemental request later if the sheriff needs additional resources, and county staff will monitor hiring outcomes and budget usage. The county will next consider related levy and supplemental budget items approved elsewhere on the agenda.