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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem B: Public Safety Task Force Update EUGENE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ~ Work Session: Public Safety Task Force Update Meeting Date: November 9, 2005 Department: City Manager's Office www.eugene-or.gov Agenda Item Number: B Staff Contact: Mary Walston Contact Telephone Number: 682-5406 ISSUE STATEMENT This work session is an opportunity to discuss the work of Mayor Piercy and Councilor Kelly on the Public Safety Task Force. BACKGROUND For several years, Lane County has looked at ways to improve the public safety system in the area, including a range of public services from enforcement activities and correctional facilities to treatment and rehabilitation options. A few months ago, Lane County proposed a special taxing district to fund public safety activities. The proposal, however, was rejected by several cities in Lane County and out of the jurisdictions' disagreement came the Public Safety Task Force. This group is composed of elected officials from Lane County and the incorporated cities in Lane County. Mayor Piercy and Councilor Kelly are the elected officials on this body representing the City of Eugene. RELATED CITY POLICIES There are no City policies issues related to this update report. If and when a final proposal is presented to the City Council for consideration, there will be several policy issues to be considered in that context. COUNCIL OPTIONS There are no options to consider at this time; this is an update report only. CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION The City Manager has no recommendation on the matter at this time. SUGGESTED MOTION There is no suggested motion for this discussion topic. ATTACHMENTS A. Final Report of the Lane County Public Safety Task Force LICMOl200S Council AgendasIMOSl109IS0S1109B.doc FOR MORE INFORMATION Staff Contact: Mary Walston Telephone: 682-5406 Staff E-Mail: mary.f.walston@ci.eugene.or.us LICMOl200S Council AgendasIMOSl109IS0S1109B.doc lv lfh Executive Summary Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report October, 2005 II Table of Contents ~ Acknowledgements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ." 3 Conclusions and Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Needs, Problems, and Issues in the Public Safety System............."..."""..........."".."""".".... 6 Public Safety Needs in Lane County Cities"...."".. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " . " . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 10 Focus, Goals, and Outcomes... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " . . . . . . .... 13 Programs and Services to Achieve Goals..."..... . . . . . . ." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . ... . . . " . . . .. 14 Program Budget to Achieve Goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 22 Financing Options - Summary Descriptions"..... ......... ".. . ." . .. . ..... ."....... ."" ." . .. . ............ 24 Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 2 II Acknowledgements I I would like to thank the many people who contributed to the successful completion of the work of the Public Safety Task Force. Lane County public safety staff spent many hours preparing materials for the Task Force for this three month effort. Deadlines were often short, but the staff responded very well and with good humor. Task Force members also spent many hours on this project. They read the large amount of data and material furnished by staff and quickly became experts on the county's public safety system. My job was much easier because of their dedication and hard work. 0~ Jim Johnson Consultant and Facilitator October, 2005 Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 3 II Conclusions and Recommendations I The Public Safety Task Force met seven times between June 30 and September 28. They heard testimony from a number of citizens, received a large volume of information from city elected officials and from Lane County public safety staff, and debated issues for a number of hours. At the beginning of the decision-making process, the Task Force decided that eachjurisdiction (12 cities and the county) would have one vote, for a total of 13 possible votes. They also decided that the District Attorney and the Sheriff could be active participants in the debate and would have a chance to weigh-in on each motion prior to a vote by the Task Force. The Task Force decided that a "supermajority" of about 80 percent of jurisdictions would be necessary in order to pass a recommendation on to the Board of Commissioners. For example, on September 8, there were 12 jurisdictions present and the group decided that it would take 1 0 affirmative votes for a motion to pass. The conclusions and recommendations of the Public Safety Task Force are in four areas: Focus, Goals, Programs and Services to Achieve Goals, and Financing Programs and Services. Each of these is discussed next. Focus Recommendation: The Task Force recommends that, for at least the next jive years, Lane County's public safety system shouldfocus its efforts on illegal drugs and alcohol abuse. Explanation: The use of illegal drugs and abuse of alcohol-and predominantly methamphetamine-is without doubt the single most important factor associated with criminal behavior and frequent interaction with the public safety system. No matter what part of the system is analyzed-police services, prosecution, the courts, corrections, parole and probation, child welfare, the juvenile justice system, or mental health programs-drug and alcohol use always seem to be present" Li,:,~s are being ruined, innocent people are being victimized every day,~and the system is spending millions and millions of dollars each year trying to keep up. Goals Recommendation: Given the focus on illegal drugs and the abuse of alcohol, the Task Force recommends that, for at least the next jive years, Lane County's public safety system should concentrate on achieving the followingfour goals, all related to drugs and alcohol: . Target these Groups for Special Action: illegal Drug Producers, Dealers, and Users and Target Property Criminals . Reduce Family Violence . Enhance Treatment Programs . Provide Prevention Programs Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 4 Explanation: After thinking about the focus on illegal drugs and alcohol abuse, the leaders and managers of the county's public safety system believe that achievement of these four goals offers the best opportunity of reducing the rate of re-offending within the public safety system. A reduction in the rate of recidivism will increase public safety in the community and will make the overall system more efficient and more cost-effective. Proarams and Services to Achieve Goals The Task Force received a large volume of information from county public safety staff on ways to focus on illegal drugs and alcohol abuse and work toward achieving the four goals. There were a considerable nwnber of questions asked of staff, followed by answers. Many of the memos answering questions are in Section 4 of this report Recommendation: The Task Force recommends that the Board of Commissioners consider funding a list of programs and services that total $24,530,000. A description of the programs and services is in Section 3 of this report. The programs are directly related to the focus and to achieving the four goals. Explanation: Our world has changed and the public safety system needs serious restructuring to make it relevant for today's problems. Increasing drug use, especially methamphetamine, is fueling or contributing to many types of serious crime. We must allocate our resources better and apply a system of solutions that addresses the root problems of crime. Only in this way can we hope to produce a public safety system that makes the best use of public money-a system that works effectively. Research and practice show that it takes this type of system to make a difference. The list of programs and services may look like a "typical" Christmas tree approach where everyone gets a present. This is not the case. Staffpresented and the Task Force is recommending programs and services that will offer sophisticated outcome measurement, performance standards, evidence-based programs, accountability, and the use of best practices. It is the combination of these services that will ultimately hold offenders accountable and reduce crime. Financina Proarams. and Services Recommendation: None. The Task Force was not able to reach a supermajority vote on a financing option for the programs and services. Explanation: Please refer to the minutes of meetings for September 8 and September 28 for a complete summary of Task Force deliberations on financing options. At the Task Force's September 28th meeting, there was considerable discussion of a proposal by Commissioner Faye Stewart for use of a sales tax to fmance public safety services. The motion to approve his proposal modified it slightly by making it clear that prescription drugs and food would not be taxed" The motion achieved nine votes of the 10 needed for a supermajority. Later, his same basic proposal, using a gross receipts tax on businesses as the funding option, Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 5 and adding an exemption for renting a hotel or motel room, achieved seven votes of the 10 needed for a supennajority. The proposal presented by Commissioner Stewart included seven elements: 1) Recommend the $24 million dollar enhancement package. 2) Ask the Commissioners to move the Public Safety Services paid for in the general fund out of the general fund and combine them with the enhancement package creating one new Public Safety System, (approx. $60 million). 3) Recommend a 1 % Public Safety Tax on retail sales dedicated to the new Public Safety System ONLY. 4) Recommend rebating a minimum of$l/thousand of the County's property tax up to the entire amount based on the revenue generated by the new tax. 5) Recommend asking the voters to give us 3 years to prove results and then give them the opportunity to vote it in permanent in November of2008. 6) The only way to change the rate is through a vote of the people. 7) Supply resolutions of support from all cities, Sheriff, and DA Needs, Problems, and Issues in the Public Safety Syste.m Lane County Governme,nt -in General. During the 1950's, 60's and 70's rising revenue from federal lands meant Lane County did not need to seek an increase in its property tax base. In the 1980-81 proposed budget, Law Enforcement and Judicial Services are described as using 32 percent of the county's general fund budget. The percentage now stands at 65 percent. In the departments listed below, there are about 200 fewer employees when comparing staffing from 1980-81 to 2005-06. DeptlEmployees 1980-1981 2005-2006 Difference Public Health 82 59 -23 Mental Health 90 58 -32 Planning 24 13 -11 Parks 25 19 -6 A&T 155 59 -96 RIS 37 24 -13 Finance 49 17 -32 Personnel 15 16 +1 Facilities 21 25 +4 Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 6 Lane County's Property tax rate includinsz timber revenue is the 35th lowest in the state with only Clatsop County lower. Lane County permanent property tax rate Washington County Clackamas (city) Clackamas (rural) Marion Multnomah $ 1.28/1000 $ 2.25/1000 $ 2.40/1000 $ 2.97/1000 $ 3.02/1000 $ 4.34/1000 Note: over 25 years, needs, missions and funding sources change. The above chart is not meant to be an exact comparison of identical services. It was prepared to demonstrate that loss has been county wide. Lane County District Attorney . Since 1980, crime caseload has more than doubled, while criminal prosecution staff has been cut by 30 percent; over the last 25 years, the investigator staff has been cut from 11 to only 1 - over 90 percent. . 100 misdemeanor crimes-including misdemeanor theft and forgery-are no longer prosecuted due to lack of funding for DA staff. . The Juvenile Prosecution division has a higher caseload, with less that half the legal staff, than either Douglas or Deschutes Counties. . 24 hour Victim's Response has been eliminated. Comparison to Clackamas", Marion", and Washington Counties Felonies Filed with DA Felonies Filed per Prosecution Lawyer Lane Clackamas 3,578 2,056 149 76 Marion 3,709 128 Wash 3,452 84 Lane County Sheriff's Office . The Lane County Jail has 485 beds for pretrial offenders and defendants, but 96 are not available because of lack of funds for staff. . Last year, 4,059 inmates were released from jail early due to lack of capacity. That is an average of more than 11 offenders each day. Approximately 735 of those released early are likely to be rearrested within six months of their release and out of those, 286 will have returned to jail for committing a new act of violence. Many inmates are released before their cases are tried and others will be released before they serve even a quarter of the sentence imposed by a judge. . Lane County has 18 patrol deputies providing 24-hour coverage, seven days a week where 103,452 people live. Each day shift there are four deputies patrolling, about three during swing shift and two during the graveyard shift. In 1974, nine to 12 patrol cars covered the same area Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 7 during the day, 13 cars covered unincorporated Lane County during the swing shift and six covered graveyard, with resident deputies and contract deputies available for backup . The Western States average of deputies per 1,000 residents is 1.82. Lane County Sheriff s Office is at 0.25. If we had the same number of deputies per 1,000 residents as Springfield, we would have to add 59 Patrol Deputies. . The County's SWAT team has been eliminated. . More than 360 property crimes are reported to the Sheriffs Office each month. There are only four Lane County detectives and their priority is to investigate violent crimes including homicide and serious sex offenses against children. Five years ago, there were eight detectives. At that time, property and nonviolent crimes could be investigated as well as more serious, violent cnmes. . The Interagency Narcotics Team was disbanded in 2004 due to lack of resources. In 2003, the team made 283 arrests and processed 46 meth labs. It also handled 31 cases of child neglect and endangering that year. Comparison to Clackamas.. Marion.. and Washinf!ton Counties Lane Total Sworn (Certified) Staff(not incl. Corrections) 56 Total Patrol Deputies (including Sergeants) 24 Average Patrol Deputies per shift 4 Clackamas 186 120 11 Marion 77 65 8 Wash 180 141 14 Prevention Services . Between 2001-2005, Lane County lost 73 percent ($1,107,246) of its revenue to fund evidence-based alcohol/drug and juvenile crime prevention services. . Lane County's Healthy Start Program, has seen a 66 percent reduction in its funding over the past eight years and is now only available to 33 percent of first births. . Family Resource Centers (FRCs) are community hubs based in our schools districts: Bethel, Eugene, Junction City, McKenzie, Oakridge, Pleasant Hill, South Lane, Springfield. FRCs annually provide over 4,800 children and families with prevention programming to offset risk factors associated with child abuse/neglect. Over the past eight years FRC's have seen a 56% reduction in their funding. Parole and Probation Services Parole and Probation (P&P) officers are responsible for: Brokering treatment and monitoring compliance with court orders; impose sanctions for nOD-:compliance and provide investigative services; issue warrants, make arrests in intense and dangerous situations; come into contact with drug labs and marijuana grows; make reports to Child Welfare which result in children being taken from the parents by the State; intervene in domestic violence situations; deal with sex offenders that continue to have contact with minors and/or commit new sex crimes; intensively supervise the transitional leave offenders that the prisons let out early; and advise the Court and Parole Board through recommendations for sentencing and sanctioning. Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 8 · Each officer in P&P has a case load of more than 100 criminal offenders, which is 33 percent more than the state average. · Lane County officers with specialized sex offender caseloads currently average between 70 and 80 each; national standards recommend no more than 40 sex offenders per officer. · Currently, 17 percent of felons (more than 600 offenders) only receive "limited" supervision, which means they are required to file a monthly report. · Approximately 25 percent of offenders under supervision are convicted of person-to-person crimes (domestic violence, sex offenses, other assaults, etc). · At $7-$11 per day, supervision is approximately 10 times less expensive than the cost of incarceration. Comparison to Clackamas" Marion" and Washinlrton Counties Caseload per ParolelProbation Officer Lane Clackamas 99 63 Marion 76 Wash 84 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment Services Treatment services are critical to help reduce the risk of criminal behavior, and to manage it after the fact. When mental health problems go unaddressed, these patients clog our emergency rooms and make unnecessary and expensive demands on our law enforcement and public safety system. Approximately 52,000 needles per month are exchanged through HIV Alliance's Needle Exchange Program. Drug and Alcohol Treatment · Last year, an estimated 2,300 people in Lane County-many convicted offenders-wanted treatment, but there was no room in the system for them. · Those who completed residential treatment had 38 percent fewer arrests, and a 78 percent lower incarceration rate; and after three years showed 75 percent more in employment earnings; while those who complete outpatient treatment had 35 percent fewer arrests, and a 50 percent lower incarceration rate; and after three years, showed 49 percent more in employment earnings. Mental Health Treatment · Estimates indicate the 25-40 percent of inmates at the Lane County jail have a diagnosable mental health disorder. At Lane County Mental Health alone, staffing has been reduced by 30 percent over three years ago, resulting in both significantly larger caseloads and 250-300 fewer adults receiving treatment at any given time. Sex Offender Treatment · Over 95 percent of convicted sex offenders eventually return to the community. Treatment improves the chance for successful reintegration. Lane County Sex Offender Treatment Program had the lowest recidivism rate of any treatment program funded by community corrections. Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 9 Department of Youth Services Corrections . We have experienced a reduction of 44 secure beds for juvenile offenders (out of75 total) at the state training school (over 125 admissions each year are remaining in the community). . Out of a total of 96 detention beds, only 32 are available for use because we cannot afford staff to operate the facility (32 beds allow for about 800 admissions each year) . In 2004, 715 juveniles were released early from detention. . In FY 80-81, DYS had about 85 staff and in 05-06 there are about 71" . Intensive supervision/treatment services for 120 juvenile offenders annually have been lost, resulting in larger case loads, less treatment monitoring, and fewer services to families. We are unable to afford offender management technology, such as electronic monitoring, which as limited our ability to monitor juvenile sex offenders and other high risk offenders returning to the community. Treatment . Residential alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment funding is at 33 percent of available space. Out ofa total of21 AOD juvenile beds, only 8 are funded (14 beds serves about 40 juveniles per year)" Out of21 juvenile shelter beds, only 7 are funded. (14 shelter beds serve about 80 juveniles per year) About 80 percent of female juvenile offenders have drug and alcohol issues and represent about 25 percent of all juvenile crime. There are no Lane County General Fund beds for adolescent female offenders with AOD issues. The county has had between 2 and 4 beds funded through time-limited grant funds" There are no shelter care beds for girls in our community . Juvenile sex offender supervision/treatment is currently funded through grant funds" . Community options for first time offenders have been reduced by 62 percent" Comparison to Clackamas'l Marion and Washington Counties Juvenile Arrests Juvenile Arrests per 1,000 Y~uth Percent Chronic Juvenile -Offenders Lane 2,820 37.2 6.3 Clackamas 2,246 24.7 2.7 Marion 4,090 50.0 6.3 Wash 2,485 19.2 3.3 Public Safety Needs in Lane County Cities Coburg. The City of Co burg sees themselves as partners and part of the planning for greater Lane County. Similar to Junction City, they have their own court, police chief, and have 5 police officers. Although Coburg did not express any needs, they expressed a desire to want to do things better, want support, and want to be team players. f Cottage Grove. The lack of or reduction of public safety services provided on the County level has had a significant impact on our ability to provide good public safety with in the community. Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 10 The provision of the following Lane County Public Safety Services would free up our resources to meet the local public safety demands or improve the effectiveness of our public safety efforts: Lane County Jail" Open all beds and fund improvements to meet the future need for jail space. This would reduce the dependence on our City jail - leave it open for local ordinance violations. "Clients" arrested would be held until court dates and not become FTA's or beat officers back to community. . Prosecution" District Attorney staffing and funding to prosecute all crimes. The creation and operation of an adult Drug Court INET. The Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team should be re-instituted. This would mean active support by all agencies on the team. Alone we don't have the resources or abilities to effectively address the drug enforcement issues. With the revitalization of the team a coordinated effort could also be made to convince the legislature to revisit the forfeiture laws to put funds back into the local agencies rather than into the state budget. Major Crime Team. That all agencies participate in the major crime team. When a major crime occurs in the smaller communities it places an overwhelming burden on local resources. Smaller entities providing personnel for the team would benefit from the training and coordination on major crimes in the larger communities. We need to share resources on the major crimes. Smaller communities must be willing to contribute time and resources and larger communities must also contribute. Youth Services. Open all space in the SERBU Youth Center. Increase the operation of Drug Court - we must get the youth out of the criminal justice system before they become a permanent part of the adult system. Authorize and encourage the local operation of Peer Courts" Deputies" Expand the level of County Law enforcement personnel to include resident deputies. Our citizens travel into the rural county areas for recreation and they expect some safety and protection. The Cottage Grove community continues to lose citizens to traffic accidents on county roads as a result of speeding because of lack of rural enforcement. Additionally, the deputies would be able to begin to address property crimes that currently go unaddressed. Creswell. The City of Creswell contracts with the Lane County Sheriffs office for Law Enforcement Services. They have two full time Deputies and one third time Sergeant" The have coverage 4 days a week with two 1 0 hour shifts per day. Their biggest need is for additional coverage" Dunes City. Dunes City relies on the Lane County Sheriffs Office for police protection. With the cuts in patrol officers, they now find themselves with response times of more than one-hour for a response to a life threatening crime and up to three days for a response to less serious cnmes. Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 11 Eugene. Eugene addressed issues that interface with Lane County explaining that they are the front end of the justice system and that there should be enough prosecutors and capacity to process them. Mayor Piercy stated that they feel strongly about prevention as part of any improvement to the public safety system. David Kelly added that the prevention piece would reduce the recycling process in the system and that it is an important component to consider when crafting a proposal to the voters. Florence. Maintain its current Public Safety Answering Point (P SAP), its local 911 serving west Lane County. Maintain two City police officers on patrol within the City, 24/7. Increase resources for prosecution and incarceration through Lane County District Attorney and Lane COWlty Sheriff Departments. Increase resources to enable Lane County Sheriff to establish and operate an anti-meth law enforcement team County-wide, including assisting incorporated areas. Increase funding for additional parole/probation and mental health services in west Lane County. What the City of Florence will not support is increased funding for Sheriff patrol of unincorporated areas paid by City taxpayers. Junction City. Junction City sees themselves as taking care of themselves as they have their own jail, police, etc. and feels that there should be separate taxing levies in unincorporated cities. The simplicity of the public safety problem was defined as being comprised of three components: Response, Prosecution, and Capacity, stating that if all three are working, public safety can be greatly impacted. Lowell. The City of Lowell would like to have some voice in how to allocate resources in their community . Oakridge. Our first priority is prevention. Prevention in the schools with School resource officers. A strong court and jail system. Weare in favor of establishing the interagency drug team. We would like to partner with the County on funding a full time officer and have that officer respond to county needs. We are in favor of a strong juvenile court system. Springfield. Among those listed were insufficient capacity and its consequences, a gap in revenue and expenditures, impacts on police operations due to service reductions at the County, and the replacement of the Regional Information System. Veneta. Veneta will continue to budget for and expand our public safety coverage. However, because of the number of non-prosecutable offenses, inadequate jail space and no active drug team our public safety system, at best, can be described as very porous. Porous from the limited coverage the City provides, the criminal activity that spills over from adjoining rural neighborhoods, and from the gaps that exist in the Lane County public safety services. This public safety gap is beginning to affect Veneta's abil.ity to retain, expand, or attract new businesses" On the horizon, that gap may also start impacting the livability that our residents have come to expect. Westfir. Primary need is to find funding for the final year of police service as required by our COPS Grant. They have very little crime, and feel that their curfew and their close-knit community seem adequate for almost all issues that come up. Right now barking dogs are the Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 12 biggest complaint, so very little is needed from the county although assistance with financing next year's police service was requested as their 4 year COPS Grant expires with a requirement that they fund the final year of services. II Focus, Goals, and Outcomes I Focus of Efforts The use of illegal drugs and abuse of alcohol-and predominantly methamphetamine-is without doubt the single most important factor associated with criminal behavior and frequent interaction with the public safety system. No matter what part of the system is analyzed-police services, prosecution, the courts, corrections, parole and probation, child welfare, the juvenile justice system, or mental health programs--drug and alcohol use always seem to be present. Lives are being ruined, innocent people are being victimized every day, and the system is spending millions and millions of dollars each year trying to keep up. It is proposed that Lane County's public safety system direct its resources to illegal drug producers and dealers, to people who abuse drugs and alcohol, and to people who get their money to buy drugs from property crimes. The county's "methademic" must be addressed. Every part of Lane County's public safety system must be devoted to this effort. Goals For the next five years, Lane County's public safety system should concentrate on achieving the following four goals, which address the focus on illegal drugs and alcohol abuse: ~ Target these Groups for Special Action: Illegal Drug Producers, Dealers, and Users and Target Property Criminals. IIJ. Reduce Family Violence. ~ Enhance Treatm~nt Programs. ~ Provide Prevention Programs. Public Safety System Outcomes In recognition of the interconnections of the public safety system, the Public Safety programs hereby adopt an overall system outcome of reducing the rate of re-offending. Because of differences in the juvenile and adult corrections systems, the methodology and the target for reduction will be different. Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 13 . Impact of juvenile system proposals: 65 percent reduction in re-offenses as measured by the rate of change in average referrals three years prior and three years post involvement . Impact of adult system proposals: _ percent reduction in re-offenses as measured by the rate of change in average convictions three years prior and three years post involvement. (I'he specific target for reduction is still being developed Work on methodology and baseline data is currently underway, and a target will be determined in the fall of 2005.) In addition to the overall system measures, the proposed services have identified intermediate outcomes or results as described below. Overall, the proposed package contains the system balance that has been identified by research as critical for reducing re-offending. Outcomes are listed in anticipation of services being part of the overall system, lather than stand-alone menu items. Programs and Services to Achieve Goals Listed below are the programs and services necessary to make a reasonable first step to achieve the four goals. ~ Goal-Target these Groups for Special Action: Dlegal Drug Producers, Dealers, and Users and Target Property Criminals. Devote substantial resources toward the goal of significantly reducing illegal drug production, dealing, and use-especially of methamphetaIriine" Direct efforts at reducing repeat adult and juvenile offenders. Focus resources on drug users who commit property crimes while hi~ on drugs and/or to support their drug addiction. Interae:ency Narcotics Enforcement Team (lNET). Staff and coordinate a new interagency (county/city/P&P/ State Police) drug team to target major drug manufacturing and distribution- prim ari 1 y metham~hetamine I . Cost: $1,220,000 Results: Reduce or curtail illegal drug manufacturing and distribution-especially for meth- thus reducing the availability of drugs, reducing drug use, and reducing property and identity crimes. Part of a balanced public safety system. Resident Deouties. Add 7 staff (four deputies, one sergeant, one communications officers, and one record officer) as resident deputies to respond to calls for service, to enhance law enforcement presence in unincorporated areas, and to coordinate with city police departments" Cost: $1,070,000 1 The focus on meth will be placed in the intergovernmental agreement forming the team. 2 All costs reflect next fiscal year and will increase each subsequent fiscal year. Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 14 Results: Increase the ability to provide community policing in outlying unincorporated communities, provide some response to calls for service, and decrease response time. Part of a balanced public safety system. . Detectives for Prooertv and Violent Crimes. Add two detectives in the criminal investigation section of the Sheriff's Office; one to focus on property crime and one on violent crimes, supervised by a sergeant. Cost: $540,000 Results: Increase arrest, prosecution, and incarceration of property criminals and drug cases, return stolen property to victims, and increase the arrest, prosecution, and incarceration of violent criminals" Part of a balanced public safety system. Prosecute Drue: Producers. Dealers. Users. and Prooerty Criminals. Additional assistant district attorneys with support staffwill prosecute approximately 900 to 1,200 drug and property crimes, with special emphasis on those persons involved in the methamphetamine trade. Cost: $1,100,000 Results: At least 90 percent of criminals will be convicted and sentenced traditionally or offered alternative programs such as Drug Court. Part of a balanced public safety system. Existin2 Juvenile Detention Cao8citv. Open 32 bed detention pod with central control operation. Provide appropriate treatment for youth offenders while in detention" Cost: $3,600,000 Results: Provide for about 700 admissions yearly and achieve a 65 percent reduction in re- offenses for those using detention. Contributes to an overall reduction in the re-offending rate. Existine: Jail CaD8citv. Restore 96 bed third-floor housing unit; restore the Special Management Unit; add 79 beds through double bunking. Cost: $4,500,000 Results: Increase ability to hold offenders longer; decrease offender's ability to re-offend; hold more sentenced offenders accountable; reduce failures to appear; get people into treatment programs; undertake skill-building. Contributes to an overall reduction in the re-offending rate. Intensive Juvenile Offender SUDervision. Fund seven additional probation/supervision staff to supervise youth who will receive intensive supervision services including electronic monitoring, urinalysis, and case management" Cost: $600,000 Results: The number of youth receiving intensive supervision services will be approximately 285 and 70 percent will be diverted from chronic delinquency" Contributes to an overall reduction in the re-offending rate" Adult Dru2 Offender SuoervisioD. Reduce caseload size per Parole and Probation (P&P) officer from approximately 110 (which is 33 percent more than the state average) to about 80. Provide an additional officer to serve with INET. Cost: $880,000 Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 15 Results: Improves supervision of addicts and dealers; increase rate of treatment participation by high and medium risk offenders to 30 percent. Contributes to an overall reduction in the re- offending rate. Sherman CenterlDOMC Staff Enhancement. Fund three additional Release Assistance Officers who will apply a regularly validated uniform risk assessment tool permitting objective individual release and hold decisions for pretrial inmates based on their risk. Cost: $270,000 Results: Creates a 24/7 operation in which each of the 14,000 plus people booked in to the jail every year is interviewed and assessed, within four hours of being booked, for risk of failure to appear in court, dangerousness, and the likelihood of committing new crimes. The failure to appear rate will be reduced. Contributes to an overall reduction in the re-offending rate" ~ Goal-Reduce Family Violence. The majority of domestic abuse, child abuse and neglect, and elder abuse are committed by people under the influence of drugs and alcohol" Family violence in Lane County should not be tolerated and must be significantly reduced. Familv Violence Dete~tives. Three detectives will be added to the investigative unit to focus on family violence; one civil service deputy will enhance the delivery of protective orders such as retraining and stalking orders, and subpoenas. Cost: $650,000 Results: Increase prosecution success of family abuses. Part of a balanced public safety system. Domestic Violence Prosecution Team. Create a new, coordinated Domestic Violence Team to handle up to 1,000 family violence cases per year. Recruit approximately 20 volunteers to act as 24-hour responders. Cost: $890,000 Results: Defendants that beat up intimate partners and children will be aggressively prosecuted and held accountable, with conviction rates exceeding 80 percent. Part of a balanced public safety system. Home-based Behavioral Systems Familv Therapv for Juveniles. Provide funding for two additional probation and supervision staff. Cost: $170,000 . Results: Approximately 85 youth will receive intensive supervision services and 70 percent will be diverted from chronic delinquency. Contributes to an overall reduction in the re-offending rate" Suoenrise Domestic Violence Offenders and Sex .Offenders.. Provide improved staffing in P&P to intensively supervise adult domestic violence offenders and sex offenders, many of whom are misdemeanants. Cost: $540,000 Results: Reduce caseload sizes from approximately 110 offenders per officer (domestic violence) to 55 and from 75-80 offenders per officer (sex offenders) to 55. Contributes to an overall reduction in the re-offending rate. Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 16 Child Advocacv Center Staffio2. Provide services to children who report sexual and physical abuse or who have witnessed domestic violence; provide a medical exam if necessary; reduce trauma to children that must go through the criminal justice process; help the non-offending parents deal with trauma. Cost: $320,000 Results: Care for 700 to 1,000 children per year. Reduce the trauma to the children who must go through the criminal justice process by providing support and counseling as needed. Part of a balanced public safety system. Court AODointed Soecial Advocates (CASA) Prol!ram. Currently there are 70 CASA volunteers serving 164 children, with estimates that each year approximately 250 children will be in need of CASA services. Recruit, train, and supervise an additional 100 court-appointed volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children. Cost: $110,000 Results: Funding would bring the current rate of service up from 28 percent of eligible children services to 68 percent of eligible children served. Part of a balanced public safety system. Crisis Nurseries. Nearly 100 percent of parents entering the Crisis Nursery's recovery support program have self reported using meth in addition to other illegal drugs. Enhance capacity of the programs in Eugene and Cottage Grove; add 2.5 FTE Peer Support staff. Cost: $160,000 (for Eugene and Cottage Grove) Results: In 2004, 91 percent of clients maintained their recovery and 96 percent maintained their children safely in their homes. Funding would allow an additional 75 parents and families to access services. Part of a balanced public safety system" Domestic Violence Coordination. Provide additional support for the Domestic Violence Council in its efforts to attract additional grant funding and to coordinate and strengthen the community's response to family violence. Cost: $40,000 Results: Secure $200,000 of grant funds annually. Part of a balanced public safety system. -... Goal-Enhance Treatment Programs. Provide effective treatment programs to stop the cycle and provide resources to help adults and juveniles who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. Enhance treatment options for people with mental health problems made worse by drug and alcohol use. Reduce the number of re-offending criminals. Intensive SUDervision of Juveniles with. A&D Problems. Fund two probation and supervision staff to provide intensive supervision of juveniles who are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. Cost: $170,000 Results: The number of youth receiving intensive supervision services will be approximately 85 and 70 percent will be diverted from chronic delinquency. This program, plus the two from the other sections, would provide about 65 percent of the identified need for intensive supervision services. Contributes to an overall reduction in the re-offending rate. Intensive A&D. Treatment Beds for J,uveniles. _.Contr~t for seven treatment beds for boys and contract for five treatment beds for girls who are referred for delinquent behavior. Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 17 Cost: $520,000 Results: Over a one-year period, about 40 youth will receive intensive drug/alcohol residential rehabilitation services and there will be about a 60 percent reduction in re-offenses by these youth. Funding this program area will provide between 1 0 - 20 percent of the identified need" Contributes to an overall reduction in the re-offending rate. Detox and Suberin!! Station. This package will provide detoxification/sobering for men and women clients. The detoxlsobering station provides an alternative resource for police response, and reduces jail book-ins" It is significantly less expensive than hospital bed detoxification. Cost: $140,000 Results: About 1,420 bed days in addition to the 5,800 currently funded Detox bed days and 4,700 sobering station admits. Contributes to an overall reduction in the re-offending rate. Intensive A&D Treatment. At least 80 percent of offenders have a drug and/or alcohol problem and, left untreated, are more likely to commit new crimes. Fund 66 substance abuse outpatient treatment slots and fund 12 residential treatment beds for substance abusers, especially for meth addicts. Eight beds will serve adults and four beds will be for adolescent girls. Cost: $640,000 Results: Outpatient services to 200 individuals per year in addition to the 1,100 currently funded; residential services to about 48 clients per year in addition to the 140 currently funded" Contributes to an overall reduction in the re-offending rate. Mental Health Crisis Response ~ Adults. _About 25-40 percent of inmates at the Lane County jail have a diagnosable mental health disorder. The budget allocation would add staff to expand crisis, civil commitment, and aftercare (post-hospital) services; expand availability of rapid- access prescriber time for psychiatric medicine. Cost: $260,000 Results: Approximately 200 people will be served in addition to the 1,200 currently funded. Contributes to an overall reduction in the re-offending rate. Sex Offender Treatment - Adult. More than 95 percent of convicted sex offenders eventually return to the community. Treatment improves the chance for successful reintegration. Funds will provide outpatient treatment for high and medium risk supervised sex offenders Cost: $120,000 Results: Serve 36 medium to high risk sex offenders in addition to the 45 currently served. Contributes to an overall reduction in the re-offending rate. Drue: Court Treatment Outions. Restore treatment capacity. Increase the ability of the Adult Drug Court to intervene in the lives of addicted offenders. Cost: $110,000 Results: Restores Drug Court treatment capacity to 300. Contributes to reducing recidivism and reducing criminal justice costs; contributes to indirect cost avoidance for the community. Contributes to an overall reduction in the re-offending rate. Skill-Building for Jail Inmates and P&P Offenders. Provide a day reporting function focusing on job readiness for up to 500 supervised offenders. Increase capacity of programs for Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 18 job skills training, employment I&R, language classes, anger management, OED and high school diploma certification programs, and housing assistance for jail inmates and P&P offenders. Cost: $180,000 Results: Provide links to businesses, government and education. Focus classes on offenders' needs and provide training in skills that enable people to live and work successfully in the community and reduce re-offending. Contributes to an overall reduction in the re-offending rate. Peer Courts in Six Communities. Restoration of six Peer Courts in the following communities: Oakridge, Cottage Grove, Bethel/West Eugene, Mapleton/Florence, Fern Ridge, and Springfield" About 325 youth will participate. Cost: $50,000 Results: About 325 youth will go through peer court and about 65 percent will not re-offend. It is estimated that this amount of Peer Court activity is about 40 percent of the need. Contributes to an overall reduction in the re-offending rate. .. Goal-Provide Prevention Programs. Allocate substantial resources to effective programs that serve children, families, and at-risk youth. We must place a high priority on prevention programs and community awareness in order to reduce future crime" Healthv Start. Provide home visiting, parenting education and support, developmental screening, and connections to community and health services for first-time families identified at moderate or high risk of child maltreatment throughout Lane County. Cost: $190,000 Results: Funding would allow for an additional 308 families being screened (roughly a 20 percent increase) and an additional 55 families would be able to receive Intensive Home Visiting services. Part of a balanced public safety system. Mentorine:. Provide funding for a program focused on mentoring (structured one-to-one relationship focusing on the needs of the youth) for youth with an incarcerated parent Cost: $80,000 Results: Positive attitude towards school; quality of parent/youth interactions. Address the cycle of incarceration and anti-social behavior. Funding would provide 30 additional youth served per year. Part of a balanced public safety system. Communitv Mobilization. Coalitions. and Advocacv. Community mobilization is a successful strategy for decreasing youth drugs use and criminal behavior and is based on models from the federal Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and the Department of Justice. Staff will provide support to communities to implement strategies to prevent substance abuse (especially meth). Cost: $70,000 Results: Staff at least two community mobilization efforts, in addition to the four currently funded. Part of a balanced public safety system. Suuport and Connections for Families. Employ a family team model for directing and planning comprehensive wrap-around services for families not served by Child Protective Services but for whom child abuse and neglect are a serious concern. Cost: $130,000 Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 19 Results: Adequacy of social support resources improves. Funding would allow for more families to have access to the services" Part of a balanced public safety system. Familv Resource Center Network. Increase capacity of the Family Resource Center (FRC) Network consisting of eleven school-based family centers that work in partnership with school districts and other community providers. Cost: $150,000 Results: Positive attitude towards school; effectiveness of social support groups" Funding would allow roughly an additional 3,500 individual's access to FRCs and for the expansion of services. Part of a balanced public safety system. I ~ Other System Requirements. Court Facilitv Improvements. Dedicated in 1958, the Lane County Circuit Court is at the end of its useful life. There has not been any substantial upgrading of the building to keep up with court operations. This budget funds the pay-back for a capital bond measure to provide security improvements and remodeling to support current court operations. Cost: $1,000,000 Results: This is phase one in a $45 million list of projects intended to extend the building's life for another 20 years. Admin Staff to SUDDort Public Safety Enhancements. The number of new staff to be provided by the above programs means that the general administration (risk and benefits/human resources) of county government needs additional employees. In addition, there is one added position to provide research and analysis capabilities for the adult criminal justice programs. Such a position exists in Youth Services and it has been very valuable to the department and the COWlty . Cost: $160,000 Results: Adequate administrative capability within the organization. Better research, analysis, outcome measurement, and accountability within the adult portion of the public safety system. Construct New Child Advocacv Center. The Lane County Child Advocacy Center helps reduce trauma to children who report sexual and physical abuse or witness domestic violence. Cost: The new Center can be built on existing County owned land; the old building can be sold; some grants may be available as well as the County road fund; so the total estimate cost of approximately $4 million may be substantially less. Results: Provide more effective, efficient child-friendly space to annually: conduct 600-700 videotaped interviews of children reporting sexual or physical abuse or witnessing domestic violence; conduct medical examinations on-site of 150 children; host 60 grand jury hearings OD- site; train and supervise 25 volunteer advocates to work with children and non-offending family members. Couotv Office Soace Considerations. The number of staff added by the above listed program will require changes in office space configurations. Additional staff may also mean additional square feet of office space built or rented. The fmancing for this additional space will come from using funds from the natural delay that occurs in filling the new positions in this measure. Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 20 Sustain Countv Service Levels. The budget includes $3.9 million to sustain the existing service level in county government. Without these funds, the county will be forced to make layoffs" Given that over 65 percent of discretionary general fund expenditures, this means that existing public safety services will be reduced. It doesn't make much sense to fund programs and services to achieve the four goals listed above and then make layoffs over the next five years. Cost: $3,900,000 Results: Not including a catastrophic event such as the Congress not funding the Secure Rural Schools program, this amount of money should be able to sustain county services for the next five fiscal years without significant reductions. Property and Evidence StoragelManagement. Property and evidence management and proper legal storage now exceeds capacity. The need for long term property and evidence storage will also be proportionally increased with new programs and services. There are space standards, design criteria, safety and disposal procedures that need to be addressed" Cost: About $1 million. Results: It is estimated that Lane County needs about 14,000 to 18,000 square feet of space meeting storage security guidelines to meet best practices and standards to meet the identified need. Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 21 Program Budget to Achieve Goals Goal: ~ Target Groups for Special Action: Illegal Drug Producers, Dealers, Users, and Tar at Pro e Criminals--$13.78 million Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (INET) Resident Deputies Detectives for Property and Violent Crimes Prosecute Drug Producers, Dealers, Users & Property Criminals Maximize Use of Existing Juvenile Detention Capacity Maximize Use of Existing Adult Jail Capacity Intensive Juvenile Offender Supervision Adult Drug Offender Supervision Sherman Center/DOMC Enhancement Budget in $ 1,220,000 * 1,070,000 540,000 1,100,000 3,600,000 4,500,000 600,000 880,000 270,000 Subtotal 13,780,000 I Goal: ~ Reduce Family Violence-$2.88 million Family Violence Detectives Domestic Violence Prosecution Team Home-based Behaviorial Sys Family Therapy-Juveniles Supervise Domestic Violence Offenders and Sex Offenders Child Advocacy Center Staffmg Court Appointed Special Advocates Program Relief Nurseries Domestic Violence Coordination 650,000 890,000 170,000 540,000 320,000 110,000 160,000 40,000 Subtotal 2,880,000 I Goal: ~ Enhance Treatment Programs-$2.19 million Intensive Supervision of Juveniles with A&D Problems Intensive A&D Treatment Beds for Juveniles Detox and Sobering Station Intensive A&D Treatment - Adults Mental Health Crisis Response - Adults Sex Offender Treatment - Adults Drug Court Treatment Skill Building for Jail Inmates and P&P Offenders Peer Courts in Six Communities 170,000 520,000 140,000 640,000 260,000 120,000 110,000 180,000 50,000 Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 22 Subtotal 2,190,000 I Goal: ~ Provide Prevention Programs--$.62 million Healthy Start Mentoring Community Mobilization, Coalitions, and Advocacy Support and Connections for Families Family Resource Center Network Subtotal 190,000 80,000 70,000 130,000 150,000 620,000 I ~ Other System Requirements-$5.060 million Court Facility Improvements Admin Staff to Support Public Safety Enhancements County Office Space Considerations Sustain County Service Levels Construct New Child Advocacy Center Property and Evidence StoragelManagement Subtotal 1,000,000 160,000 Lapse 3,900,000 Lapse Lapse 5,060,000 Grand Total 24,530,000 * In three agencies **Lapse means that the County will use salary savings derived from the delays in hiring all of the employees immediately in order to finance these capital projects. Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 23 Financing Options - Summary Descriptions Personal Income Tax Description of Tax: A Lane County personal income tax would tax income of residents, and possibly nonresidents', earned in Lane County. Income subject to tax would be based on state tax definitions. A tax rate could be applied to Oregon Adjusted Gross Income, or on a taxpayer's Oregon "Taxable Balance", the amount on which actual tax liability is calculated after deductions from Adjusted Gross Income. Yield / Adequacy: For each I-percentage point tax on adjusted gross income, estimated revenue for calendar year 2005 is estimated at $62.5 million. A I-percent tax applied to the Oregon taxable balance would yield $47.5 million for calendar year 2005 returns. If the county income tax were a 10 percent "piggy-back" surtax on the state income tax, revenue for the 2005-06 fiscal year would be approximately $34.7 million. Advantages . Generates substantial revenue . A fair tax, based on ability to pay, unlike some other taxes . Provides reasonable growth, mirrors economic conditions . Already in effect in other Oregon county . Relatively easy for taxpayers to compute and plan . May be applied to residents and nonresidents, more easily paid with withholding . Deductible for state and federal personal income tax itemizers Disadvantages . A highly visible tax for prospective residents . More administration cost than by increasing property taxes . More burdensome than sales tax for self-employed and others without withholding . Does not tax corporate income, but does tax other business income Corporate Income Tax Description of Tax: A county corporate income tax would be a tax imposed on net corporate income earned within the county geographical boundary. A net income tax is applied to business profits, rather than to a broader measure of business activity, such as gross receipts. Yield / Adequacy: A 1 percent county tax on corporate income allocated to Lane County would average a little over $3 million per year for the remainder of this decade. Growth of revenue will parallel business activity Advantages . Generates significant revenue to partially address county needs . Reasonably fair tax, applied only to net profits, unlike some other taxes Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 24 . Currently implemented in another Oregon county, relatively easy to clone . Would be deductible business expense for state and federal taxes . Administration of tax likely contracted out, not requiring increased county staffing . Does not treat small and large businesses differently . Provides increased share of county funding from business sector Disadvantages . A visible tax, perceived as negative factor, for prospective corporate residents . Receipts will fluctuate with economic conditions, difficult to predict . Does not tax sole proprietors, partnerships Retail Sales Tax Description of Tax: A county sales tax would be an excise tax on practically all retail sales of goods within the county boundaries. Various options exist as to what items are taxed, e.g., all goods or some goods and services. lIDs analysis assumes that the basis would be similar to the Washington state sales tax, which applies to the selling price of tangible personal property and certain services purchased at retail, i.e", by consumers" In general, the tax applies to goods, construction including labor, repair of tangible personal property, lodging of less than 30 days, telephone service and participatory recreational activities. Most services to persons and businesses are not taxed. Exempted items would include in-home food, prescription drugs, most services, medical sales, utilities, rents or fabricated for ultimate sale at retail. Yield I Adequacy: A one-percent tax Washington-type tax on retail sales within Lane County is estimated to have raised $47.7 million if in effect in calendar year 2005 and $50,,0 million in 2006. Over time, tax receipts will grow almost as much as personal income growth. Advantages . Generates adequate revenue, permitting reduction of other taxes . Allows taxes to be paid "pay as you go", in small amounts . Provides reasonable growth, mirrors economic conditions . Would help "lock in" local government share if state tax enacted . Everyone pays, including tourists and the "underground" economy Disadvantages . Lane County would be fIrst Oregon county with a sales tax . Increased administration cost for a new tax . More regressive than income tax . Not deductible for state and federal income tax . Creates burden for retail businesses to collect tax Gross Receipts Ta.x Description of Tax: A gross receipts tax for Lane County would be similar to Washington's Business and Occupation (B&O) tax, which is imposed on business gross income, rather than on Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 25 net income. The Washington tax is considered an excise tax on the privilege of engaging in business and is measured by gross income, gross proceeds of sales, or the value of products resulting from activities conducted within the state. Yield I Adequacy: A 0.1 percent COWlty tax on gross receipts would have raised about $22.7 million in 2005. Growth of revenue will parallel business activity. Forecasted growth of revenue from a O.I-percent county tax is estimated to increase about one million dollars per year, although assumptions are fairly tenuous Advantages · Generates significant revenue to partially address county needs · Provides reasonable growth, mirrors economic conditions · Would be deductible business expense for state and federal taxes · Does not treat smaIl and large businesses differently · Provides increased share of county fun~ing from business sector Disadvantages · A visible tax, perceived as negative factor, for prospective corporate residents · Lane County would be first Oregon county with gross receipts tax · Requires new administration cost for county, being a new tax · Creates hardship on emerging businesses by ignoring profits · Receipts will fluctuate with economic conditions Restaurant Tax Description of Tax: A county restaurant tax could be either a selective sales tax on each sales transaction for food and non-alcoholic beverages sold in restaurants, or a tax levied on the gross receipts of restaurants. For this analysis, it is assumed the tax would be as a sales tax on food and non-alcoholic beverages. Yield I Adequacy: Potential revenue from the tax is estimated at $3.9 million per I-percent rate if in effect for 2006. Therefore, a three-percent tax would raise about $11,,7 million if in effect in 2006. Ashland, Oregon currently has a food and beverage tax, with a five percent tax applied to all prepared food (with some exemptions) sold in Ashland. Advantages · Generates significant revenue to partially address county needs . Currently in effect in another Oregon municipality · Provides reasonable growth and is fairly stable · Allows taxes to be paid "pay as you go", in small amounts · Everyone pays, including visitors and those not paying other taxes . Taxes discretionary expenditures Disadvantages · Although in effect in Ashland, Lane would be fIrst Oregon county with a restaurant taxe· County will incur increased administration expenditures Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 26 . Creates burden for restaurants to collect tax . Is not based on business profitability Business License Tax Description of Tax: A Business License tax could be an annual fee imposed on any person, partnership, corporation or similar entity doing business in Lane County. The fee could take various forms: a fixed amount per business, a flat percentage of income earned in Lane county, a fixed fee levied on businesses according to their employment size. Yield I Adequacy: A flat tax of $100 per private business unit would have raised an estimated $978,000 if in effect in 2004 and would raise $1 million in 2006. A fee of $20 per employee would have raised $2,295,000 in 2004, and $2.4 million in 2006. Advantages . Generates significant revenue and would be reasonably stable . Could provide non-dedicated general fund revenue . Would be deductible business expense for state and federal taxes . If imposed on per employee basis, would be fair to small and large businesses . Provides increased share of county funding from business sector Disadvantages · Although Oregon cities use it, Lane may be first Oregon county with a per-employee business tax . Requires additional county administration cost . Perceived as a "negative factor" for prospective Lane businesses . Is not based on business profitability Amusement & Entertainm.ent Tax Description of Tax: An amusement/entertainment tax could be either an excise tax on the sales price of admissions or entertainment service, or could be a selective gross receipts tax on those businesses engaged in the entertainment industry" The tax will be an excise tax paid by the consumer, e"g., a 5 percent tax on videocassette rentals, on movie tickets, performing arts tickets and other admissions at a percentage of the basic charge. The tax could be extended to cover sporting activities and entertainment cover charges Yield I Adequacy: A I-percent tax on consumer expenditures for fees and admissions could raise revenue in 2006 in the range of $450,000 if applied to movie theaters, video rentals, and golf courses. An additional $123,000 could be raised if the tax also were applicable to University of Oregon ticket sales. Advantages . Generates significant revenue . Could provide non-dedicated general fund revenue Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 27 · W ouId provide reasonably stable revenue stream · W ouId be paid by residents and nonresidents · Taxes nonessential expenditures, for relatively small amount · Is already enacted in Washington and other states Disadvantages . · Lane would be first Oregon county with an amusement tax · Requires additional county administration cost · Imposes collection burden on entertaimnent establishments · Is not based on ability to pay, simply a selective sales tax Property Tax Options: Public Safety Service District And Local Option Levy Description of Tax: Lane County is prohibited from increasing its own permanent tax rate to increase property tax revenues into its General Fund. However, one property tax option is for the county to form a new service district with its own permanent tax rate. Formation of a new public safety service district would create a district with a new permanent authority tax rate. A second option is for the county to pass a local option levy. The County's permanent authority tax rate was established in 1997 at $1.2793 per $1,000 of assessed value. Passage of a local option levy is the only way for Lane County to collect property tax beyond the permanent authority established with Measure 47/50. Yield / Adequacy: A new permanent rate authority of $2.00 per $1,000 of assessed value created by the formation of a public safety service district would create about $40.1 million in revenue based on 2004 information. Compression would be minimal at lower rates, but would begin to be significant as the rate approaches $ 2.00. A local option levy passed by voters for $2.00 per $1,000 of assessed value would create about $35.0 million in revenue. However, because the public safety local option levy is compressed at the same level as other local option levies, compression is significant at lower rates and becomes substantial at higher rates" Advantages of forming a service district with a permanent property tax rate: · Generates significant revenue · Does not have to be renewed · Property Tax is an existing, generally accepted tax concept by voters · Provides some growth as maximum assessed values in the district can grow by the constitutionally allowed 3% rate each year · A system for billing and collecting the tax is currently in place, requiring no new administration costs · Taxes Lane County property owners and absentee owners · Deductible for state and federal personal income tax itemizers · Permanent authority revenue would be relatively stable Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 28 . The governing body can decide to levy a lower rate than that approved by the voters, thereby giving the ability to "phase in" the rate . Could provide non-dedicated general fund revenue Disadvantages of forming a service district with a permanent property tax rate: . Has only a little relationship to ability to pay . Burdensome on low-income property owners . No longer able to precisely determine yield-dependent on maximum assessed value . COWlty levy may result in rate compression with other taxing districts . Requires approval by resolution of the governing body of each incorporated city within the district prior to placing formation measure on ballot . Subject to Urban Renewal District division of tax Advantages of the County passing a Local Option Levy . Generates significant revenue . Property Tax is an existing, generally accepted tax concept by voters . Growth occurs when Real Market Values of the county increase by a faster rate than the constitutionally allowed 3% growth for Maximum Assessed Value . A system for billing and collecting the tax is currently in place, requiring no new administration costs . Taxes Lane County property owners and absentee owners . Deductible for state and federal personal income tax itemizers . Would not need approv8.I of the governing bodies of each incorporated area within the district Disadvantages of the County passing a Local Option Levy . Has only a little relationship to ability to pay . Not everyone pays; only those properties with a "gap" between Real Market Value and Maximum Assessed Value are subject to the levy . Burdensome on low-income property owners . No longer able to precisely determine yield-fluctuates with the growth or decline of the real estate market, more volatile than a permanent rate . County levy may result in rate compression with other taxing district's local option levies . Local option levy would have to be renewed by the voters periodically . Difficult to explain the tax and their payment portion to taxpayers . Subject to Urban Renewal District division of tax in certain circumstances Executive Summary - Lane County Public Safety Task Force Final Report 29