Sanctuary status sparks public comment, council discussion

Councilor Eric Keller has repeatedly asked the council to discuss making a statement that the town welcomes all its residents, or that Cascade Locks is an inclusive community. Mayor Brenda Wood denied his request to have the topic on the agenda, saying she believes all residents of Cascade Locks already feel welcomed and recognized.

Still, public comments showed a general misunderstanding of what was on the council’s agenda, along with what it means to be a sanctuary city or state. Some residents expressed concerns about housing, food bank supplies, and adequate law enforcement to handle the influx of migrants, though, according to the Brennan Center for Justice and congressional records, sanctuary cities do not have a higher percentage of immigrants and crime rates are equal to or lower than non-sanctuary cities.

Sanctuary vs. welcoming

Oregon is a sanctuary state. According to the Oregon Department of Justice, this means local law enforcement is not allowed to enforce federal immigration law, confirmed by Sheriff Matt English at council’s Jan. 27 meeting.

Saying Cascade Locks is welcoming or inclusive does nothing to change immigration laws; rather, it is a gesture a town can choose to make or not make. As Keller said in council comments, “It is a statement. Nothing more.” (See sidebar for more information.)

Councilor Denise Emmerling-Baker agreed with the idea of expressing welcome or an inclusive ethos, and Council President Pete Happy concurred that it should be on the agenda as a discussion item. However, lacking consensus, the council will not discuss or issue a resolution.

On the agenda

Next, the council voted to issue a letter of support for the Mt. Hood Community College bond on the May ballot, with Mayor Brenda Wood abstaining and Councilor Tiffany Pruit opposing. They also unanimously approved the hiring of Pinnacle Mt. Hood as a lobbyist.

City Administrator Jordon Bennett then presented a summary of findings of the Fire and EMS Services funding task force. Bennett and Fire Chief John Logan, after months of research, cited a prepared food and beverages tax as the “most efficient and least burdensome path forward.” The town’s emergency services need $180,000 to meet a projected shortfall, and additional operational dollars to sustain those services.

Currently, emergency services require 42% of the city’s general fund dollars. Data revealed that the majority of restaurant customers, more than 80%, are from outside the city, and 60% of the fire and EMS calls are from outside the city. The tax would not apply to groceries or alcohol, only to prepared food and beverages. Wood suggested Bennett run numbers for an increased tax in order to give more back to local businesses for processing fees.

Audit update, seats to fill

The call for a forensic audit, used to investigate potential fraud or misconduct, was again issued during a discussion of the city’s backlogged audits by Councilor Marianne Bump.  A former finance officer for Cascade Locks, Bump cited concern and echoed Wood’s previous call for a forensic audit, as reported by Columbia Gorge News Jan. 22.

The mayor originally requested a forensic audit because of the city’s late audits and staffing changes; as of press time, neither Bump nor Wood had responded to requests for further information on why they believe a forensic audit is needed.

All the standard audits up to this point have suggested minor adjustments and given the city’s books an “unmodified” judgment, which is the best evaluation available. Councilors Bernard Seeger and Emmerling-Baker have stated opposition to a forensic audit.

Wood closed by reminding residents that there are still three committee seats to fill: one on tourism, one on planning, and two on budget.