What’s Up In Crook County?
By Crook County Judge Scott R. Cooper
Published in the Powell Butte View, March 2003
I received an excellent response to last month’s column, which featured a series of short, newsy, “what’s-going-on” items in place of an essay on a single subject. In political life, there’s no substitute for success, so I’ll try again this month!
How Are State Budget Cuts Affecting County Services?
First, it’s important to distinguish between state-supported services and county services. There’s no question that times are hard for many people who depend on state support for public health care and mental-health assistance. That said, the worsening fiscal crunch at the state level has left services offered by Crook County agencies largely untouched so far. County offices continue to operate as normal without layoffs or shortened-work weeks. A few minor grant programs have bee cut back, and there are rumors of more cuts to come. The big cuts, if they come, will arrive in the next fiscal year and could include a loss of funding to rent jail beds to house state prisoners, loss of a substantial portion of the “safety net” programs backed by the Commission on Children and Families and a loss of positions in OSU-Crook County Extension. It also appears that the state-funded tobacco education and prevention program may be headed for the ash heap, along with funding for predator control, grants that support tax and assessment and video poker funding for counties.
Video Poker? How Does That Affect Me?
Video poker revenues are shared between the counties and the state. Although the revenue is insubstantial (about $64,000 per year) it goes a long way toward helping worthy non-profits in our community. Video poker funds economic development activities of the Chamber of Commerce and the county’s contribution to Economic Development for Central Oregon. It also funded planning and building permit fees for the Powell Butte Farmers Club Community Center, planning and building permit fees for the new 4-H building at the fairgrounds, a month’s food for the St. Vincent DePaul food bank, discretionary funds for local elementary schools to help purchase clothing supplies for needy children and the Leadership Prineville program, helping build the next generation of leaders in Crook County. These programs are all at risk if the video poker funds are withdrawn. On the other hand, anybody who reads the papers has to be somewhat sympathetic to the enormous task the Legislature faces in balancing the budget, and every penny counts.
How serious is the PERS problem in Crook County?
It’s not. Crook County does not offer retirement through the Public Employee Retirement System except to a handful of sheriff’s deputies (who are required by law to receive PERS retirement or better.) Instead, the county funds a 401K plan for employees that rises and falls depending on market conditions and the condition of the individual funds to which employees direct their investments. Only a few other counties in the state are not on PERS, but all of them are in better financial shape than their counterparts, many of which are experiencing 20-25 percent premium increases.
Has This Funding Crisis Affected The Passing Lanes?
No. Highway 126 is supposed to be widened this summer between Wiley Road and Tom McCall Road to a four-lane stretch. Since ODOT’s road-building receipts are from dedicated gas tax receipts, progress on this project should not be delayed by the state’s fiscal problems. A second set of passing lanes scheduled to be built roughly in front of West Powell Butte Estates is more dicey. These were to have been funded through an ODOT/County partnership, but it is looking increasingly likely that this project will not happen due to ODOT’s refusal to cap the county’s exposure.
Won’t the Destination Resort Provide More Funding For Services?
The County expects an application to build Crook County’s first destination to filed March 12. Planning Commission hearings are slated for April. If approved, the destination resort will take years to build out. The eventual property tax revenues from the resort could be in the $7 million to $8 million range annually, but the resort will likely be phased in. A more immediate impact for the local community could be the collection of room tax from the destination resort and other recreational properties. Currently, the county has no room tax. (There is a room tax in the city. The city’s room tax rate would not be affected by a county room tax, which would apply only outside city limits.) The Court is mulling whether to put this idea before voters at the next general election, and is also waiting to see what happens with legislation in Salem which would strip county’s of their ability to direct room-tax proceeds to those areas of county government where it is most needed.
Is The Enterprise Zone and Small-City Tax Exemption Improving the Economy?
The County currently has two tax-incentive programs to encourage businesses to choose Crook County. The enterprise zone program offers property tax to businesses that bring a minimum number of jobs to the county that pay certain wages. Several businesses are reported in the media as having come to the county to take advantage of this program, but none have been certified by the County Assessor for tax exemption. The Small City Tax exemption offers a 10-year income tax waiver to businesses which invest a minimum $25 million within the city limits and guarantee certain wages and benefits. However, the technical requirements of this program are so tight that no business in the state has yet taken advantage of this program. A bill to fix the problem has been proposed in the legislature and is awaiting action.
Is Anything Being Done For The Poor Farmers and Ranchers?
Good news on this front came last week. With the help of Congressman Walden, the county was able to lobby successfully for a federal drought-disaster declaration for 2002. Combine that with an effort to $3.1 billion to the just-passed federal budget for drought-relief, and the result is an $18 per head payment to livestock producers, feed-purchase assistance and certain income tax benefits. Farmers and ranchers should consult the USDA Farm Services Agency for more information about how to receive benefits. Frankly, it’s a minor miracle that we pulled this off, considering the comedy of errors that preceded it. First, the state missed a deadline for submitting Crook County’s request for drought assistance to USDA. Then, the Livestock Compensation Program sunset. Next the President announced his opposition to any drought relief outside the Farm Bill passed last year. All of this required legislative effort to turn around, and I am deeply grateful to Rep. Walden for his leadership which made the difference in getting help for our farmers and ranchers.
Published in the Powell Butte View, March 2003
I received an excellent response to last month’s column, which featured a series of short, newsy, “what’s-going-on” items in place of an essay on a single subject. In political life, there’s no substitute for success, so I’ll try again this month!
How Are State Budget Cuts Affecting County Services?
First, it’s important to distinguish between state-supported services and county services. There’s no question that times are hard for many people who depend on state support for public health care and mental-health assistance. That said, the worsening fiscal crunch at the state level has left services offered by Crook County agencies largely untouched so far. County offices continue to operate as normal without layoffs or shortened-work weeks. A few minor grant programs have bee cut back, and there are rumors of more cuts to come. The big cuts, if they come, will arrive in the next fiscal year and could include a loss of funding to rent jail beds to house state prisoners, loss of a substantial portion of the “safety net” programs backed by the Commission on Children and Families and a loss of positions in OSU-Crook County Extension. It also appears that the state-funded tobacco education and prevention program may be headed for the ash heap, along with funding for predator control, grants that support tax and assessment and video poker funding for counties.
Video Poker? How Does That Affect Me?
Video poker revenues are shared between the counties and the state. Although the revenue is insubstantial (about $64,000 per year) it goes a long way toward helping worthy non-profits in our community. Video poker funds economic development activities of the Chamber of Commerce and the county’s contribution to Economic Development for Central Oregon. It also funded planning and building permit fees for the Powell Butte Farmers Club Community Center, planning and building permit fees for the new 4-H building at the fairgrounds, a month’s food for the St. Vincent DePaul food bank, discretionary funds for local elementary schools to help purchase clothing supplies for needy children and the Leadership Prineville program, helping build the next generation of leaders in Crook County. These programs are all at risk if the video poker funds are withdrawn. On the other hand, anybody who reads the papers has to be somewhat sympathetic to the enormous task the Legislature faces in balancing the budget, and every penny counts.
How serious is the PERS problem in Crook County?
It’s not. Crook County does not offer retirement through the Public Employee Retirement System except to a handful of sheriff’s deputies (who are required by law to receive PERS retirement or better.) Instead, the county funds a 401K plan for employees that rises and falls depending on market conditions and the condition of the individual funds to which employees direct their investments. Only a few other counties in the state are not on PERS, but all of them are in better financial shape than their counterparts, many of which are experiencing 20-25 percent premium increases.
Has This Funding Crisis Affected The Passing Lanes?
No. Highway 126 is supposed to be widened this summer between Wiley Road and Tom McCall Road to a four-lane stretch. Since ODOT’s road-building receipts are from dedicated gas tax receipts, progress on this project should not be delayed by the state’s fiscal problems. A second set of passing lanes scheduled to be built roughly in front of West Powell Butte Estates is more dicey. These were to have been funded through an ODOT/County partnership, but it is looking increasingly likely that this project will not happen due to ODOT’s refusal to cap the county’s exposure.
Won’t the Destination Resort Provide More Funding For Services?
The County expects an application to build Crook County’s first destination to filed March 12. Planning Commission hearings are slated for April. If approved, the destination resort will take years to build out. The eventual property tax revenues from the resort could be in the $7 million to $8 million range annually, but the resort will likely be phased in. A more immediate impact for the local community could be the collection of room tax from the destination resort and other recreational properties. Currently, the county has no room tax. (There is a room tax in the city. The city’s room tax rate would not be affected by a county room tax, which would apply only outside city limits.) The Court is mulling whether to put this idea before voters at the next general election, and is also waiting to see what happens with legislation in Salem which would strip county’s of their ability to direct room-tax proceeds to those areas of county government where it is most needed.
Is The Enterprise Zone and Small-City Tax Exemption Improving the Economy?
The County currently has two tax-incentive programs to encourage businesses to choose Crook County. The enterprise zone program offers property tax to businesses that bring a minimum number of jobs to the county that pay certain wages. Several businesses are reported in the media as having come to the county to take advantage of this program, but none have been certified by the County Assessor for tax exemption. The Small City Tax exemption offers a 10-year income tax waiver to businesses which invest a minimum $25 million within the city limits and guarantee certain wages and benefits. However, the technical requirements of this program are so tight that no business in the state has yet taken advantage of this program. A bill to fix the problem has been proposed in the legislature and is awaiting action.
Is Anything Being Done For The Poor Farmers and Ranchers?
Good news on this front came last week. With the help of Congressman Walden, the county was able to lobby successfully for a federal drought-disaster declaration for 2002. Combine that with an effort to $3.1 billion to the just-passed federal budget for drought-relief, and the result is an $18 per head payment to livestock producers, feed-purchase assistance and certain income tax benefits. Farmers and ranchers should consult the USDA Farm Services Agency for more information about how to receive benefits. Frankly, it’s a minor miracle that we pulled this off, considering the comedy of errors that preceded it. First, the state missed a deadline for submitting Crook County’s request for drought assistance to USDA. Then, the Livestock Compensation Program sunset. Next the President announced his opposition to any drought relief outside the Farm Bill passed last year. All of this required legislative effort to turn around, and I am deeply grateful to Rep. Walden for his leadership which made the difference in getting help for our farmers and ranchers.
posted by Scott Cooper | 11:17 AM
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