Lane County government won a national award for its budgeting achievements during the 2006 fiscal year, but in less than three weeks commissioners will be struggling to provide citizens with public safety and basic services.
Pink slips for county employees are being issued June 1.
With the failure of the income tax measure Tuesday night and the re-authorization of federal funding unlikely, the County Budget Committee will have to attempt the impossible and approve a budget that keeps Lane County public safety and health services intact.
Last year’s Government Finance Officers Association’s award for “meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting” suddenly seems like a distant memory.
“We’re in a crisis now,” Lane County lobbyist Tony Bieda said.
There are two options for Lane County to get the funding it needs from the federal government: One option would take several years, the other is tied to a war funding bill that will probably be vetoed by President George W. Bush.
“We have no idea what will happen, and the bill will go through the same drama as the last one. The president has already said he would veto this bill if its language does not change in the Senate,” Bieda said.
The county is facing tremendous cuts to many services necessary to public safety and public health programs and services.
There are 43 services and programs expected to be cut before the start of the July 1 fiscal year, and pink slips will be sent out June 1 to public employees working in those areas. The one month time gap will allow for seniority privileges and other employment mandates to take effect.
The sheriff’s office, Youth Services, and Health and Human Services will suffer the most drastic cuts in a proposed budget that was created to take into account the loss of Secure Rural Schools federal funding.
That cut to funding will carve out 30 percent of the county’s General Fund, where funding for the public safety and health services come from.
If the re-authorization of SRS funding does happen, the General Fund would have $61.7 million to work with and without the funds, the budget committee has $45.2 million to allocate across 74 different services.
The income tax would have replaced the likely loss of SRS funds but with its defeat, budget committee members are scratching their heads about where to turn for funds that can save needed services.
“I’m dismayed that the voters didn’t take the time to truly try to understand the seriousness of the problem the county is facing,” Lane County Budget Committee Manager and Financial Planning Manager David Garnick said. “If the federal funding does not come through, we’re going to have to make some serious cuts on a lot of programs that provide critical life, health and safety for the public.”
The Lane County Budget Committee’s deadline to adopt a budget for the 2007-2008 fiscal year is June 30 and the committee has a goal of June 27 for the adoption to be finalized.
The committee has scheduled meetings for May 30 and 31 with the hope of receiving helpful public input. June 4 and 5 will also include public input and will be the last days for the approval of a budget that can be sent to the Lane County Board of Commissioners for a vote of approval.
Opponents of the tax measure said that the proposed service cuts were only a scare tactic to frighten voters into passing the income tax. The personal action committee “We Said No” led the charge against the income tax measure and have said there are alternatives to slashing services detrimental to public safety and health. The Budget Committee can both save these services and create a budget without any needed income tax they have mentioned.
“The first thing that needs to happen is a hiring freeze. If we are really broke, why are we hiring people and increasing wages and benefits?” Bob Hooker, member of “We Said No” said. “We got anonymous letters from inside the county government that would make you shudder – there are big, big problems there.”
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