Public Safety Coordinating Council urges commissioners to avoid deep cuts to public-safety programs ahead of budget season

Melissa Laird, chair of the Public Safety Coordinating Council, told the Washington County Board of Commissioners on March 4 that public safety is a "core responsibility of county government" and urged commissioners to avoid deep general-fund cuts as the county develops its next budget.

Laird said the general fund is the largest funding source for the county's public safety and justice programs and that chronic underfunding threatens the sustainability of essential services. She warned that "budget cuts of 10% or more would have real and dangerous consequences," including fewer investigations and reductions in specialty courts and juvenile rehabilitation programs. "Specialty courts provide real solutions, real safety, and real cost savings, and they need your support," she told the board.

Chair Harrington noted the county's budget calendar and invited residents to follow budget committee meetings beginning March 18, and the county's budget officer will deliver a proposed balanced budget on April 28 as required by state statute. Laird tied public safety to public health and behavioral health, saying cuts ripple across the system and can increase theft, vandalism and harm to businesses and residents.

Why it matters: The Public Safety Coordinating Council is asking the board to prioritize programs that supervision, prosecute and intervene in criminal behavior, arguing that reductions would reduce the county's capacity to address certain crimes and could increase costs and harms to the community.

Next steps: The county will hold a budget committee meeting March 18, a board-hosted update for elected officials March 19, and a budget committee orientation April 14. The board's budget schedule will determine whether the council's recommendations are adopted into the proposed budget.