Lane County’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year (2025–2026) is now available. The proposed budget addresses an estimated $6.3 million structural deficit in the General Fund while striving to balance necessary reductions with preserving services.

“Precise tools, not blunt instruments, are what we need to solve our budget challenges and ensure we can continue to provide valuable public services,” said County Administrator Steve Mokrohisky. “We have to use a scalpel and look at everything, line by line, rather than take an axe to our programs and services. It’s the responsible approach to using our limited public resources for the benefit of our community.”

Similar to many other local governments, Lane County’s expenses are growing faster than revenue; however, Lane County faces the additional challenge of an artificially low county property tax rate ­– frozen in the early 90s – and growth in assessed property value capped at 3 percent annually regardless of skyrocketing market values.

Lane County’s budget is comprised of 34 separate funds. Most funds are structurally balanced without using reserves to fund ongoing expenses. Nine funds remain structurally unbalanced, including the Land Management Fund, Human Service Fund, Clerk’s Fund, and others.  Lane County’s most distressed fund continues to be the General Fund because it relies on limited revenue from Lane County’s $1.28 per $1,000 of assessed value property tax rate, one of the lowest rates in Oregon.

Public safety is a priority of Lane County. Currently, public safety services receive approximately 75 percent of all discretionary General Fund revenue. Fully funding public safety with existing revenue would require completely eliminating all other General Fund services, including elections, property assessment and tax collection for 85 districts in Lane County, funding for health and human services, veterans services, and other core functions of government. Until new revenue for public safety is identified, Lane County cannot adequately address the need for public safety services across the community.

The proposed budget includes approximately 80 fewer positions across multiple departments compared to the current fiscal year. This is the largest reduction in positions since 2012.

“We have been thoughtful in reducing positions that minimize the effect on residents and our employees,” said Mokrohisky. “Wherever possible, we proposed cutting positions that are vacant or where an existing employee could move into another position without being laid off. Only 18 of the positions proposed for reduction are filled.”

The County Administrator’s full proposed budget message can be found online.

The Budget Committee, which is comprised of five appointed residents and the five county commissioners, began its review of the proposed budget with a meeting and public hearing on May 6. A recording of the proposed budget presentation and public hearing is available online.

The Budget Committee will meet multiple times during the next three weeks to receive information from each County department. The Budget Committee will have the opportunity to approve the proposed budget and any recommended changes on May 20. Written public comment can be submitted to the Budget Committee at [email protected]. The approved budget will then appear before the Board of County Commissioners for potential adoption in June.

All meetings are broadcast live on Metro TV (Comcast Cable channel 21). Meetings can also be watched live online at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/webcasts.

Learn more about Lane County’s budget process at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/budget or view the Fiscal Year 2025–2026 proposed budget document online.