JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. —Josephine County officials hosted a town hall Wednesday, about finding a sustainable way to fund law enforcement. The town hall was an opportunity to educate the public about future possibilities and hear from them directly.
Sheriff Dave Daniel has been in law enforcement for 28 years and he says for the vast majority of it, law enforcement has been funded through multiple levies in Josephine County.
The two questions that were asked to the public Wednesday, were what level of law enforcement do you want in Josephine County? And how much are you willing to pay for it?
Commissioner Herman Baertschiger says it’s time to find another funding source.
Sheriff Daniel said this next fiscal year, the sheriff’s office projects a $1.6 million deficit. He says in 2023, it’s looking at a $4.6 million deficit.
Sheriff Daniel says some potential options include, the possibility of creating a taxing district, a sheriff’s office levy, or a law enforcement retail activities tax. The sheriff addressed the Grants Pass city council earlier this month, Wednesday he got to hear directly from citizens.
“What I’d like to see in our law enforcement is enforcing all the laws, and id like to see steady funding to do this, sales tax is not steady,” said one Grants Pass resident.
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