Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Levy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hood River County commissioners seek November vote to renew public safety levy
Summary
Commissioners directed staff to prepare documents to place a renewal of the county’s five-year public safety levy on the November 2024 ballot, saying the levy stabilized services and that failure to renew could force substantial cuts to patrol and investigative capacity.
Hood River County commissioners agreed on June 17 to move forward with drafting ballot language and explanatory materials to place a renewal of the county’s public safety levy on the November 2024 ballot. The item must return to the July meeting for a resolution to meet election deadlines.
County Administrator Allison Williams summarized the levy’s purpose and history and said the levy helped retain programs including emergency management and courthouse security. “We are looking to maintain the same service level as supported today with the existing levy,” Williams said.
Sheriff Matt English urged renewal to preserve staffing, training and timely responses. “This levy was not to build an empire; it was to keep a certain level of service the community expressed they wanted,” he said, noting the levy helped fund investigator and patrol positions and prevented gaps in 24/7 coverage.
Commissioners described the levy as a stabilizing fund for a county that relies in part on timber revenue. Commissioner Babitz said removing roughly $2.1 million from the sheriff’s $4.1 million budget at once would “radically affect” operations and could translate to a significant reduction in positions; he and other commissioners cited an earlier levy rate of $0.78 per $1,000 of assessed value as the rate voters previously approved.
Finance Director Sheri Paterson and County Counsel Lisa Davies told the Commission the board must approve a resolution at the July meeting to meet the November ballot deadline and that explanatory statement language is word-limited. Commissioners asked staff to prepare clear messaging about what services would be reduced if voters do not renew the levy.
The work session outcome was consensus direction to have staff and counsel finalize documents for a November 2024 referral and to return the item in July for formal action. No formal vote on the referral occurred at the June 17 business meeting; commissioners discussed timing, messaging and the operational impacts of a potential failure to renew.
