Residents, staff urge restoration or replacement of Cahoots mobile crisis service as city weighs cuts

Dozens of Eugene residents urged the Budget Committee on May 14 to preserve funding for Cahoots, the mobile crisis and community-response program, as city staff described an expanding mix of alternative-response units and uncertainty about who will provide some crisis services in coming months.

Speakers said Cahoots diverts calls from police, emergency rooms and ambulances and saves money and lives; staff from the city’s fire and police departments described a patchwork of mobile medical, county-run crisis teams and new local pilot programs that have stepped in since White Bird/Cahoots reduced or ended its contract earlier this spring.

The appeals came during a 90-minute public-comment period that drew 34 registered speakers, many of them former Cahoots staff, medical providers and community organizations. “Cahoots is an essential life‑saving service,” said Ryder Hales, a Ward 1 resident. “We can set an example for the nation one way or another.”

Why it matters: Cahoots historically handled mental‑health and low‑acuity medical calls that otherwise required more expensive police, ambulance or hospital responses. Committee members and staff said the city is working with Lane County and provider partners but that gaps remain while services are reconfigured.

What speakers said - Natalie (paramedic student and volunteer) said Cahoots has “diverted hundreds of calls a year from police, fire and emergency rooms” and that the program is “the most affordable public‑safety option.” - Jojo Breslin, a long‑time community advocate, told the committee Cahoots “pays for itself in dividends” by reducing costly emergency responses and jail and court referrals. - Former Cahoots employees including Michael Williams and Alicia Rabideau urged the committee to fund a rebuilt program or a new nonprofit to run the service.

City staff presentations - Mike Kavan, fire chief for Eugene‑Springfield Fire, and Police Chief Chris Skinner described a suite of alternative responses the city is deploying or piloting: basic life‑support (BLS) ambulances, a squad unit, an alternative response (AR) unit funded with short‑term grants, senior‑response and community paramedicine pilots, and a downtown co‑responder pairing police with behavioral‑health specialists. - Veil Miller, the city’s chief financial officer, said the county established a standalone Lane County mobile crisis program in 2024 that is expanding toward 24/7 coverage and that multiple limited‑duration state grants funded several local pilots. Miller cautioned that many of those grants expire this year and next, and that long‑term sustainability depends on securing Medicaid reimbursement or other recurring revenue sources.

Numbers cited in testimony and staff remarks - The city’s prior contract support for White Bird/Cahoots was described in public comments as just under $1 million annually for Eugene operations; community presenters estimated it would take roughly $2.75 million per year (about $5.5 million across the biennium) to fully restore a local Cahoots‑level program, based on recent FOIA data shared publicly. - City staff said call volumes have grown substantially over the past decade and that much of the growth has been for lower‑acuity medical and behavioral‑health contacts that alternative units now handle.

Discussion and next steps Budget Committee members asked staff detailed operational questions about how BLS ambulances, the squad and co‑responder teams are deployed and whether the county program and a rebuilt local Cahoots would duplicate services. Staff said there is no legal bar to having both county and local providers but emphasized the need for careful contract design, an RFP process and a reliable funding plan before restoring a contract.

Committee members signaled interest in exploring supplemental funding or a targeted restoration if revenue options appear; the committee will return for final motions on May 28. Several members said a supplemental budget or a one‑time swap of funding sources could be used to restore some services if new revenue materializes.

Ending Speakers and committee members agreed on urgency: several testified there are people who currently rely on Cahoots who will be at increased risk without a sustainable replacement, and staff said they will continue coordinating with county partners and community providers while the committee finalizes budget recommendations.