Sheriff's services to voters

The fate of the Deschutes County Sheriff's Department is in the hands of the voters -- and if fewer than 50 percent mail in the ballots, the vote won't count.

Measure 9-50 on the mail-in ballots for the May 20 election proposes a one-year $6.9 million levy that would fund existing sheriff's services. The proposed levy would follow a $4.85 million per year three-year levy passed in 1994.

According to Brown, the increased amount of the levy largely reflects the expansion of county jail facilities. The jail has tripled in size since 1994, and now houses an average of 163 people daily. Twenty-six corrections people were hired to operate the facility.

Voters in March turned down a $9.4 million per year three-year levy that included funds to staff and operate a new juvenile jail and to hire new deputies.

Even if the new levy passes, programs like the anti-drug education program D.A.R.E. will be cut in order to keep as many deputies as possible on patrol.

And if the levy fails, patrols will be cut drastically.

Brown said there will be a layoff of 73 in the 130-person department. Over 100 inmates will be released from jail and the jail capacity capped at 50 people. Instead of 12 deputies and detectives on the road at a given time, there will two on patrol throughout the county.

But Brown is hopeful that citizens will vote to keep their sheriff's services.

"I think things are looking better for us this time," he said.

To fund the levy, property owners in the county will pay an estimated $.96 per $1,000 of property value. Under the 1994 levy they paid $.95 per $1,000. Residents of Sisters and Black Butte Ranch, who have their own police forces, will pay a lower amount, about $. 71 per $1,000, under the split levy.

According to Brown, the department expects to respond to at least 53,000 calls for service this year, up from 27,000 calls in 1994.

"Even with opening the new jail, all we did was keep up with the growth in the county," Brown said.

Under the proposed levy, the owner of a $100,000 home would pay $96 per year for sheriff's services. Brown noted that garbage fees run about $130, and basic cable services cost about $320 per year

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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