Item B: City Response to Lane County Budget Crisis

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City Manager’s initial recommended budget. That budget includes four positions that are held vacant (base salary only) to provide funding for the Special Projects (overtime) fund. The City could fund these four positions which would have the effect of adding four additional full time patrol officers as well as providing an incremental increase in the department’s overtime capacity. New funding of $518,172 on-going would be required. In addition, one-time costs of $191,500 for equipment and vehicles would be required, $69,800 of which would qualify for tele- communications funding. EPD could consider a shortened special process to evaluate police- certified officers scheduled for layoff from the Lane County Sheriff’s Office dramatically shortening the training time required for those officers determined to be qualified. General Prevention and Treatment Members of the City Council, Budget Committee, and the public are understandably concerned about the loss of several interconnected prevention and treatment programs. “Pure” prevention programs are those directed toward at-risk persons who do not yet have any offense history. Staff does not yet have sufficient information about the effects of the Lane County budget cuts on these historically under- funded programs. Effective treatment does not occur without prosecution of the underlying offenses and jail space to enforce associated supervision. For example, Drug Court is recommended for elimination. Drug Court has proven itself to be a very effective treatment and recidivist reduction program but it requires the arrest and prosecution of drug offenders to begin the process. Lacking associated prosecution, there is no possibility of Drug Court, hence the proposed cut by the county. Drug Court’s effectiveness lies, in part, with the certainty of a conviction if the participant fails to successfully complete the program. Without associated jail capacity, this deterrence is lost. Drug Court is but one example. There are many court-ordered treatment and post-arrest supervision programs that are not possible without the underlying arrest and prosecution of offenders, the supervision of probation officers, and the jail space to backup those programs. It is for these reasons that prosecution and jail space are prioritized as immediate mitigation required. Human Service Commission Programs Lane County has identified a reduction in the Human Service Commission budget of approximately $380,000. The specific impacts of that reduction on HSC agency partners have not yet been determined. It is projected that the year end reserve balance for FY09 will be about $650,000 ($140,000 of this is one-time funding provided by the City of Eugene to offset timber payment cuts that did not materialize in FY08). Attachment B includes a history of HSC funding by jurisdiction for the past several years. Additional information about HSC agencies will be provided in answer to Budget Committee questions. Budgetary Considerations As described in the FY09 Proposed Budget and presentations at the Budget Committee, the City has a long-term structural deficit in the General Fund. General Fund services are drawing from savings again in FY09 to keep the service system in tact. By FY10, Reserve for Revenue Shortfall will be depleted and there will be a $1.5 to $2.0 million on-going deficit that will need to be resolved with revenue enhancements or service reductions. Y:\CMO\2008 Council Agendas\M080512\S080512B.doc