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Lane County begins listening sessions on public safety funding; vendor to report in June
Summary
County staff told the board that vendor-led listening sessions and stakeholder interviews are underway to test funding options for rural patrol, adult corrections and the district attorney's office; findings are expected in June and will inform possible ballot or budget proposals.
Judy Williams, Lane County chief of staff, briefed the board on April 28 about the public safety funding work group and community outreach connected to recommendations from the public safety task force.
Williams said the work group has engaged a polling firm and a community outreach vendor (Lexicon Online) to run listening sessions and stakeholder interviews focused on rural patrol, adult corrections and the district attorney’s office. "We've worked with Lexicon Online to do some listening sessions and some 1‑on‑1 stakeholder interviews to further explore those funding mechanisms," Williams said. Staff said one session has been completed, a second was scheduled for the evening, and a vendor report is expected in June.
Commissioners asked about format and recruitment, especially how residents will learn about and sign up for sessions. Staff said recruitment combines online and in‑person advertising, posters and targeted outreach to underrepresented groups (staff noted earlier recruitment challenges reaching older male rural homeowners but said minimum quotas were recently met). Staff said session sizes are intentionally limited to 10–12 participants for in‑depth discussion and that broader community outreach rounds will follow the vendor’s targeted sessions.
The board scheduled a follow‑up work session in June to review the vendor’s findings and decide whether to pursue specific funding mechanisms, including potential ballot measures or transient lodging tax reallocations.
