For the second time in six months, Lane County residents have voted against adopting an income tax, and this time voters made their position clear with a 71 percent of ballots cast against the county tax.
59,007 residents had voted against the measure and 23,997 had voted in favor, as of press time. At the same time, voters passed a measure capping any future county income taxes at 2 percent, barring another vote by county residents. That measure received the approval of 44,412 residents or 56 percent of voters with 35,046, or 44 percent, of voters against the charter amendment.
As of 10:30 p.m. voter turnout was estimated at 45 percent of 191,113 registered voters, Lane County Elections Manager Annette Newingham said.
“If it would have passed, that would have been fine with us. We feel there is a lot of waste in the county government and our goal was to get the vote on the ballot and out to the people,” said Bob Hooker, member of the political action committee We Said No.
As many residents may be celebrating the measure’s defeat, the county budget committee will be strenuously debating the possible crisis facing Lane County, and how to resolve the many problems public safety will have with proposed cuts to its services.
The income tax measure was put forward to offset the likely denial of federal funding Lane County faces. Since 2002 the county has received at least $32 million of Secure Rural School and Self-Determination funds, and the last payment was allocated on September 2006.
There has been hope that Congress will act positively toward a new proposal presented by Rep. Peter DeFazio and signed by a number of other members of Congress across the county. The last proposal was attached to the Iraq funding bill that was passed through federal legislation but later vetoed by President George W. Bush.
Nevertheless, sources inside Washington, D.C. are pessimistic about the future of any future similar funds being approved by the president. One source close to the legislation said that the funding is so far out of the view of the president right now because the new war funding bill is the first priority.
“I think we’re going to continue to work on our budgets and work toward the re-authorization of SRS funding,” County Commissioner Faye Stewart said. “If we don’t receive federal funding, then Lane County needs to move forward with making the necessary cuts to balance our budget.”
If the county does not receive the possible $32.5 million in federal funding, the county’s general fund will take the biggest hit. The County Budget Committee created a contingency budget that predicts the county situation if the income tax failed and SRS funding was cut. Under this proposed budget, public safety services would be drastically cut. Those services apply to the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office and Youth Services, which includes treatment, probation and detention.
“It would be devastating if the measure fails,” County Commissioner Bill Dwyer said. “(The funding) is a necessity and whether or not voters recognize that or not is up to them. If it does not pass they’ll recognize the negative impact it will have in cutting services.”
Services that will probably be cut are numerous: Violent crimes detectives will be reduced or eliminated, along with emergency search and rescue throughout the county; parole and probation for domestic violence offenders; and services for children with development disabilities and persons with mental disabilities.
Hundreds of beds in various detention centers will also be eliminated, allowing those who would be filling those bunks to be on the streets.
There are also some 30 other possible services that would have to be cut under this possible budget proposal.
Hooker said he doesn’t want these service to disappear – he wants a re-evaluation of how the county spends its funds.
“Let’s not go in and cut public safety; it’s just scare tactics,” Hooker said. “It’s time for the unions to step up and get on board and looking at possible reductions. We would like to get in and help fix things and clean things up but some people in the county government have to go bye-bye.”
Contact the city, state politics reporter at [email protected]
What could get cut?
Under the contingency budget there are 43 services that will possibly be cut if federal funding is not re-authorized and without the help of a county income tax. Below are the public safety cuts under the Sheriff’s Office, Youth Services and Health and Human Services.
Violent Crimes Detectives: Investigate felony crimes, homicide, rapes, crimes against children and major property crimes.
Human rights support: Staff support to Lane County Human Rights Advisory Committee.
Dunes Patrol Search and Rescue and General Fund Road Crew
Parole and Probation Domestic Violence: Supervision of domestic violence offenders.
Search and rescue: Emergency response to lost, stranded, injured or deceased persons throughout all of Lane County.
Mandated treatment for adult sex offenders on supervision by Parole and Probation.
Services for children with developmental disabilities services to persons with severe mental illness: Hospital commitment and criminal involvement.
Psychiatric care to severely emotionally disturbed children.
Contracted services for family violence, abuse and neglect.
Women, Infants, and Children: Health and nutrition services for more than 8,000 women, infants and children each month.
Civil process: Serves the processes, subpoenas, executions and orders of the court in the urban growth boundary.
Contracted services for drug detoxification, sobering, residential and outpatient treatment.
Services for adults with developmental disabilities.
Contracted services for homeless and at-risk youth.
Methadone treatment: Drug treatment for heroin/opiate addicts.
Community service program: Alternative to incarceration – offender agrees to donate labor for welfare of the public.
Psychiatric hospitalization crisis team: Individuals who are an imminent danger to self or others
Juvenile forest work crews: Funded entirely by Secure Rural Schools.