Deschutes commissioners pleased with ‘state of county’
Deschutes County is growing at a very fast pace, and that growth, along with the related issues of housing and public safety, were just some of the topics commissioners discussed during the yearly State of the County talk Tuesday evening.
At the ‘What’s Brewing?’ panel talk hosted by the Bend Chamber, commissioners said the county is handling the growth well.
“One of the interesting things about Deschutes County is just all the services,” Commissioner Tony DeBone said. “You know, the Road Department, Solid Waste, the Health Department, the DA’s Office, the Sheriff’s (Office), and all those different things.”
The total county budget for the new fiscal year is close to $360 million. Commissioner Phil Henderson said much of that money will go to maintaining most services. On top of that is a 3 cent reduction in property tax rates.
Commissioner Tammy Baney said it’s an exciting time, because now they can focus on the reserves and what they can give back to the community.
“It’s making sure that we have the right alignment of service delivery to meet the needs of the public,” Baney said. “Then also making sure that we are balancing that with the staffing needs and making sure we have a quick response.”
Capitol plans for transportation for the coming year include improvements on the Old-Bend Redmond Highway and Deschutes Market Road.
Other planned projects include maintenance on the solid waste inflow at Knott Landfill and a proposed Crisis Stabilization and Sober Center.
Baney said like the reset of the region, the biggest challenge is still housing. That can have an impact on drawing good people to fill positions.
“We have a challenge in terms of hiring, same as anyone else, so whether it’s a psychiatrist or it’s someone coming on as a deputy, we are having challenges and we feel that ripple throughout the community as well,” Baney said.
The commissioners said they are excited about extra money expected from the new statewide transportation package, allowing them to focus on the needs of rural communities like Terrebonne and Tumalo.
