HOOD RIVER — Hood River County Sheriff Matt English has reported his office will be operating with reduced capacities across several of the programs that are part of or managed by the agency.
“I feel very lucky to be part of a community that so overwhelmingly supports the work that our teams do day in and day out," English said.
In 2020, Hood River County passed a public safety levy, to ensure many of the sheriff’s office services were provided to county residents, to include 24-hour patrol coverage, investigators for serious crimes, emergency management, and court security. Voters renewed the levy last November by more than 73%.
English said in the 12 and a half years he’s been sheriff, the office has ensured transparency and fiscal accountability, working within the allocated budgets. Regarding the public safety levy, English said it was never intended to fund the entirety of sheriff’s office operations.
“The commissioners at the time explored a myriad of options to include a special taxing district, but ultimately the rate was thought to be too high and not palatable to voters. At the rate the commission approved, it was understood that there would be a need for continued support from the county’s general fund, grants, and funding streams from the federal and state governments.”
He went on to say, “Unfortunately, some of those sources aren’t coming to fruition this budget cycle. The levy-funded services remain intact, but the resulting cuts from other revenue sources will be seen and felt by our community.”
The sheriff’s office parole and probation division lost two positions, equivalent to 40% of their workforce, after the legislature declined to allocate the requested level of funding that would have covered the true cost of services, as defined by the “actual cost study” that is mandated to be completed every six years. The staffing layoffs equated to one parole and probation deputy and the work crew supervisor, ending the longstanding program after 30 years of existence.
In 1995, the legislature passed SB 1145, which eliminated parole and probation as a state function and turned it over to counties, with the commitment that the state would provide adequate funding to counties to operate the programs but did not require the legislature to incorporate any or all of the “actual cost study." The sheriff’s office division has seen a staffing reduction of 50% since 2022 and the loss of a contracted peer mentor and drug and alcohol counseling. Several counties in the state supplement parole and probation programs with additional dollars, but they are under no statutory obligation to do so.
Historically, Hood River County has not provided additional funding to supplement the state’s allocation.
In May, the Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB) advised their law enforcement grantees that there would be a 30% reduction in funding due to their inability to seek a federal grant through the United States Coast Guard, as a result of Oregon being designated a sanctuary state. To maintain the marine program, the full-time deputy assigned to that program will now split their time between that program, the Off Highway Vehicle Enforcement (OHV) program and the United States Forest Service (USFS) program, reducing the marine division’s capacity. This resulted in the loss of a half-time deputy sheriff position that covered the USFS contract, reducing the office’s overall response capacity.
Since 2021, the sheriff’s office has managed a federal grant through the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) that has provided funding and oversite for a peer support team, in-house mental health counseling, and wellness activities for all law enforcement agencies in Hood River and Wasco counties, as well as the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office. The focus on supporting first responders’ wellness has been at the forefront of priorities for the last several years and the LEMHWA grant played a critical role in ensuring the trauma responders endure, was addressed. The grant brought more than $300,0000 to the region during the last two grant cycles. This year, the office was set to onboard Sherman, Gilliam and Wheeler counties, but learned recently that they were ineligible to apply, due to Oregon’s Sanctuary State status.
Locally, the sheriff’s office overtime budget was reduced by about 1/3. Overtime is an unfortunate reality of public safety work, particularly for the sheriff’s office, where it is utilized to cover shifts on a regular basis. Nationally, Oregon has ranked at the bottom of the list for public safety staffing ratios, making overtime a necessity to ensure the public has first responders available to respond to calls.
Additionally, Hood River County’s Search and Rescue funding is reliant on monies funneled through the USFS as part of Title III of the Secure Rural Schools Act. Outside of donations, SRS funding is the only source to support the county’s heavy search and rescue call volume. SRS has not been re-authorized by Congress.
Further, Hood River County’s Emergency Management is partially funded by the Emergency Management Program Grant (EMPG). Emergency Management coordinates mitigation, response and coordination to major incidents and disasters like wildfires. The role of the Emergency Manger (EM) in Hood River County has grown significantly over the last decade with local governments and stakeholders relying on the EM and much of the supportive grant funding that results from the work being done.
Sheriff English said of the funding shortfalls, “Despite the current setbacks, I remain committed to working with the county to find solutions that will help ensure the sheriff's office can continue to deliver the services our constituents expect.”
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