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Commissioners back 5% limited‑growth plan for Video Lottery Fund to restore partner grants
Summary
Deschutes County staff recommended a conservative forecast and a 5% across‑the‑board limited growth scenario for FY27 Video Lottery Fund allocations to restore nonprofit partner funding modestly while preserving contingency for debt service; commissioners favored targeted restorations, including adding roughly $5,000 to EDCO.
Deschutes County budget staff on March 4 presented an updated FY2027 Video Lottery Fund (VLF) allocation spreadsheet and a recommended “limited growth” approach that would raise partner allocations by 5% while maintaining a contingency balance sufficient to cover near‑term debt service.
Budget manager Cam Sparks and Strategic Initiatives Manager Jen Patterson told the board they adjusted the state revenue projection down to a conservative 4% growth (versus the state estimate of 6.8%) and modeled a 5% increase across most partners. The model is intended to be structurally sustainable: contingency would dip to roughly $850,000 while the county carries debt service on the Jameson building through 2028 and then rebuilds contingency afterward.
Why it matters: Video Lottery Fund dollars support local nonprofits and service providers for housing, behavioral health, public safety and other community services. Staff said prior cuts in FY24–FY26 had reduced partner allocations substantially; the 5% limited‑growth scenario is intended to begin restoring those partners without exhausting contingency reserves.
Key details and board choices - Staff modeled a conservative 4% revenue increase and found a 5% allocation increase is affordable while maintaining a contingency buffer to cover one year’s debt service. - Commissioners discussed restoring the Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) allocation roughly to FY2025 levels; commissioners agreed adding about $5,000 (or the equivalent to approximate FY25 funding) would be appropriate. Staff adjusted the spreadsheet in real time to show the effect. - The board discussed fee vs. subsidy tradeoffs for environmental health work; staff reported a modest fee increase of about 3.6% could be paired with VLF support.
Board direction: Commissioners generally supported the 5% limited‑growth approach with modest, targeted restorations (for example, EDCO). Staff will finalize the spreadsheet and include the recommended allocations in the proposed budget to the budget committee.
Context from public comment: Earlier in the meeting, a nonprofit CEO, Stephanie Olstead of JBRJ Youth Services, urged the board to restore or increase VLF support for nonprofits, saying state and federal cuts are creating substantial funding gaps for youth services and sheltering programs.
What’s next: Staff will finalize the allocation spreadsheet and forward the recommended package to the budget committee as part of the FY27 proposed budget.
