Camp Sherman welcomes county commissioners

Jefferson County Commissioners Bill Bellamy and Walt Ponsford and a full contingent of county staff visited Camp Sherman last week for a discussion of local issues and to receive public input.

Jefferson County will decide on May 17 whether to raise the transient occupancy tax (TOT) and add a new tax levy for the county jail.

The TOT proposal, if passed, would raise the current room tax rate for motel, cabin, and other rentals from 6 percent rate to 9 percent. Cold Spring Resort owner Jim McLean reminded the group that the state also imposes a 1 percent room tax that effectively would make the tax 10 percent.

“I would like to keep the cost for the average person as low as possible so that they could continue enjoying vacationing in our area,” he said.

“The tax increase would only be a few dollars and I don’t think it would keep people from vacationing here,” said Roger White, owner of the Camp Sherman General Store. “However, those few dollars would be that much less that could be spent on other purchases in our local area.”

Some of the TOT money comes back to Camp Sherman for the promotion of tourism in the area.

“I think we could do a better job of tourism promotion if the increase is passed,” said Bellamy.

“I don’t believe the tourist industry will be hurt if the tax increase is passed,” Ponsford said.

A continuing bone of contention is how much of the TOT is returned to promote Camp Sherman tourism.

“A major portion of TOT dollars are collected in Camp Sherman and we get $10,000 out of about $70,000 collected county-wide,” said McLean. “I’d rather leave the tax at 6 percent, collect our $10,000 and promote Camp Sherman tourism on our own.”

Ponsford mentioned that he favors some TOT money supporting projects throughout the county that improve facilities and living conditions for all.

If the TOT increase passes it would take effect next January 1.

Jefferson County Sheriff Jack Jones gave a very thorough virtual tour of the county jail facilities and how the day-to-day operation works for his audience. The five-year jail operations levy on the May 17 ballot asks for 99 cents per $1,000 assessed value to support jail operations. It would replace the expiring levy of 91 cents per $1,000.

The levy generates about $850,000 of the yearly $2.8 million cost to run the facility.

“We have one of the safest counties in the state,” said Jones. “Our jail is one of the best in the state — cleanest and safest. We have the lowest crime rate in the state.”

The jail is staffed by 23 people and presently averages about 82.5 inmates. Some 25 beds in the 160-bed facility are rented by Crook County.

Average cost per inmate per year is a little under $34,000.

One of the local concerns in Camp Sherman is the availability of Deputy Sheriff Dave Blann. Sheriff Jones said that budget constraints require him to share Blann with Crooked River Ranch.

“I would like to tell you otherwise but the truth is that our patrol staff is short and this is a necessary sharing. We will respond quickly and effectively for any local emergency,” he said.

Camp Sherman’s Road District 18 provides $4,800 per year to Jefferson County as housing expense money for stationing Blann in Camp Sherman.

Deputy Blann also has other county duties in Camp Sherman including snow plowing of county roads.