Deschutes County adopts $428 million 2019-20 budget

The Board of County Commissioners have formally adopted the fiscal year 2019-20 Deschutes County budget.

The action followed a series of public meetings and hearings by the county’s budget committee in May and June. The newly adopted County operating budget totals $227,788,787. This excludes contingency, unappropriated balances, and internal transactions that tend to inflate the budget. The total County FY 19-20 budget is $428,117,309.

Highlights from the FY 2020 budget include:

Property Taxes:

Deschutes County has five property tax levies that it uses to fund county services.

The budget committee voted to leave the county’s current permanent property tax rate (1.2183 per $1,000 of assessed value) in place for FY 2020. There are no changes in the Countywide Law Enforcement District tax rate, Rural Law Enforcement District rate or for property tax rates that are used to fund the Extension/4-H District and the Deschutes 9-1-1 Service District.

Staffing Changes:

The adopted FY 2020 budget includes the net addition of twelve new positions, the most prominent of which include:

District Attorney’s Office: After careful consideration and in response to concerns of growing caseload and high turnover in the DA’s Office, the Budget committee agreed to add five new positions, including two Deputy District Attorneys, two Trial Assistants and an Administrative Supervisor. Health Services: The addition of a Community Health Specialist that will focus on marijuana education work. This position will be funded with money the County receives from statewide recreational marijuana tax revenue. The Budget Committee also approved the extension of a Quality Improvement Analyst position as well as limited general funds extending a Public Health Nurse and an Epidemiologist in relation to the Public Health Modernization grant projects. Sheriff’s Office: An additional detective will join an existing detective in focusing on marijuana enforcement. Both positions are funded with money the County receives from statewide recreational marijuana tax revenue.

Capital Projects:

The adopted FY 2020 budget includes robust support for a variety of capital projects, including:

Road Department:

A contribution of $5,000,000 to the ODOT US-97 Bend North Corridor project Redmond: NE 17th and Negus Way improvements – $2.2 M Redmond: S. Canal intersection improvements – $1.7 M Improvements at Six Corners on the Old-Bend Redmond Highway south of Redmond: (Intersection realignment and constructing turn lanes). Tumalo: $7.8 M contribution (total: FY 20 and FY 21) to ODOT US 20 and Cook Ave/OB Riley intersection improvements project. Terrebonne: $5 M to the ODOT Terrebonne Refinement Plan US 20: $500,000 contribution to ODOT Ward/Hamby Road intersection with Highway 20 safety enhancement project.

Health Services / Sheriff’s Office:

The Health Services Department, in partnership with the Sheriff’s Office, will establish a Crisis Stabilization Center in the coming year. The proposed FY 2020 budget includes operating costs for the facility in both the Sheriff’s Office and Health Services Department budgets.

To review the budget and other related content, please visit www.deschutes.org/budget.

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