Lane County Commissioners and budget staff leaned back in their chairs, listening to public input Tuesday night from concerned citizens who voiced their dismay about certain programs that are slated to be eliminated in the county’s 2008-09 budget.
Some commissioners grimaced when shown pictures of animals that would go uncared for or not rescued if Lane County Animal Services is closed as currently projected. Others bowed their heads when antagonists confronted them by calling for them to take pay reductions to set an example, accused them of not taking action sooner, or just resorted to name calling – “Peter, you suck,” Lonny Whelchel said to Commissioner Peter Sorenson.
However, not all the people who spoke for their allotted three minutes took frontal attacks on the budget committee members.
Many made somber points about the adverse affects that cutting the county’s programs would have on the public.
Referring to the projected reduction of the number of Lane County Sheriff’s Office employees, area resident Bill Powell said, “people are going to protect their own property at all costs … Anyone with common sense knows you don’t cut law enforcement, period.”
Under the proposed 2008-09 county budget, the sheriff’s office would have to eliminate more than a third of its workforce, reduce around the clock coverage to only 20 hours of police presence, and cut the number of jail beds from 151 down to 28.