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Lane County launches public-safety funding outreach; task force narrows priorities to DA, corrections and rural tourism
Summary
County staff reported progress on a public-safety funding work group that has prioritized the district attorney's office, adult corrections and rural emergency response; staff have commissioned polling and community listening sessions and plan a June 3 work session to present findings and recommended next steps.
Lane County staff told the Board of Commissioners the county’s public-safety funding task force has narrowed its focus and is preparing community engagement that will inform potential revenue or structural recommendations.
Chief of Staff Judy Williams said the task force formed in 2023 recommended concentrating on three components of the public-safety system: rural emergency services (noted as "rural tourism" impacts in the packet), adult corrections and the district attorney’s office. The task force’s recommendations included exploring multi-pronged solutions—efficiency, prioritized spending, new revenue approaches and structural options such as a special district or payroll tax.
"One of the first things that the work group did ... was having some work sessions with you to really hear from the DA's office, hear from the sheriff's office in terms of the challenges," Williams told the board. Staff have conducted polling and retained a community-engagement firm to run listening sessions and stakeholder interviews; those findings are slated for presentation to the board in a June 3 work session.
Williams said the county will use polling results and stakeholder feedback to refine options and determine whether there is sufficient community consensus to pursue a ballot measure or other revenue strategy. She asked the board to expect a more detailed engagement plan once staff narrow a recommended approach.
Next steps: staff will complete listening sessions and stakeholder interviews, return with results and scenarios on June 3, and then propose next actions—ranging from broader public engagement to legislative or ballot strategies—based on the board’s direction.
