Deschutes County adopts $400 million 2023-24 budget that raises three taxing districts to full authorized rates

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners has adopted the county’s fiscal year 2023-24 budget, following a series of public hearings by the county’s budget committee in late May.

The county’s total operating budget for Fiscal Year 2024 is $400.4 million, which represents a 1.9% percent decrease from the prior year’s original adopted budget.

The budget includes funding for core county programs and services, as well as a variety of priority projects and initiatives, including:

• Expanding access to County services in Redmond with the development of the North County Campus and the Negus transfer station.
• Expanding the Deschutes County Circuit courthouse in downtown Bend to improve security and provide additional courtroom space for two new judges approved by the Legislature in 2021.
• Engaging our residents in updating our Comprehensive Plan, Transportation System Plan, and other community planning efforts to manage growth and natural resources as well as to protect the public health and safety of our residents.
• Continuing efforts to identify a site for a new solid waste management facility.
• Partnering with cities to support the Coordinated Houseless Response Office, which is charged with creating a five-year strategic plan and implementing a high-performance houseless response system.

“This budget allows us to sustain high quality service for our growing and changing community while implementing the commissioners' goals,” said County Administrator Nick Lelack. “We continue to see a combination of sustained high inflation rates, rising costs, a slowing of new construction and ongoing supply challenges. These factors are creating new budget challenges for the County, which is facing increasing revenue pressures. To remain in a strong financial position, we will need to continue to demonstrate vigilant fiscal stewardship.”

The county has five property tax levies that it uses to fund county services. In FY 2024, three tax rates will be changing. The County is levying its full permanent property tax rate of $1.2783 per $1,000 of assessed value, a six-cent increase from the rate levied in the current year.

The Sheriff’s Office County-wide Law Enforcement District tax is increasing by 20 cents to $1.25 per $1,000 of assessed value, the full permanent rate. The Rural Law Enforcement District rate has been increased by 12 cents to $1.55 per $1,000 of assessed value, the full permanent rate.

Property taxes are also used to fund the Extension/4-H District and the 9-1-1 County Service District. There are no changes to these two levies for FY 2024.

To view the County’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget, visit: www.deschutes.org/budget.