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Sheriff faces budget cuts
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| H&N photo by Todd E. Swenson Klamath County Sheriff Tim Evinger, on the phone, works a dispute between a landlord and tenant in August. The department would lose its graveyard shift under cuts being considered to balance the county budget. |
February 9, 2007
The Klamath County Sheriff's Office would lose its graveyard shift under cuts being discussed to balance the county budget.
In addition, one deputy would be eliminated from both the day and swing shifts, and a 44-inmate unit at Klamath County Jail would be closed.
Sheriff Tim Evinger presented those potential scenarios to the Klamath County Budget Committee during Thursday's hearing. Each county department head was asked to show how their operations would be affected by a 9.6 percent reduction in funding.
The potential cuts result from the loss of federal timber funds. Last year, Klamath County received $15 million from the program. Of that, 10 percent went into the county's general fund, 65 percent went to the county road department and 25 percent went to the county's two school districts.
No cuts have been made nor is it certain that across-the-board reductions will be necessary. Thursday's exercise was intended to give the budget committee information to consider before a public hearing on the budget, and final adoption by the county commissioners.
Evinger said 14 positions would be lost in his office. That includes five people who perform all operations from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Since the Oregon State Patrol doesn't operate around the clock, it means there would be no law enforcement outside of the city limits of Klamath Falls during those hours.
More than 90 percent of the calls during graveyard shift are for crimes in progress, Evinger said.
The sheriff said there's no way to come up with enough reductions without carving deep into personnel. His office would have to cut about $953,000 with retirement and salary step increases factored in.
“I don't want to see any reductions,” Evinger said. “We're understaffed now.”
Other positions that would be deleted from the sheriff's office include one of two civil deputies who serve court documents; a detective who investigates murders, rapes, burglaries and other felonies; one resident deputy in a remote area of the county; and one office clerk.
DA's office
District Attorney Ed Caleb painted the same picture. Cuts would eliminate one felony deputy district attorney, meaning charges wouldn't be filed on non-violent offenses such as theft and criminal mischief.
The loss would leave the DA's staff with eight attorneys, compared with 13 for Klamath Defender Services. Caleb said that would put Klamath County's law-abiding citizens at a disadvantage.
Budget reductions also would prevent his office from representing the Department of Human Services in child welfare cases.
Klamath County Juvenile Department would lose one group worker and the cook position in detention services. That means less direct supervision of those in detention, which director Glenn Vest said would put youth and staff at higher risk.
Youth detention
To avoid a potentially unsafe environment, he said, the department would have to cap its youth detention population at 14 to 16 instead of the current 20 to 25. More youths who deserve detention would stay on the streets, which Vest said would be “a source of frustration for the officer on the street.”
For the Community Development Department, a budget reduction of $66,000 from its current budget would eliminate one planner, director Jay Henry said.
The office would have to raise fees or take more time completing permit requests. The Planning Department processed 1,985 permits in 2006 - a 106 percent increase over 2004.
“A slowdown in the permitting processes could negatively affect the total amount of new construction authorized in the county,” Henry said in his report.
- Steve Kadel
The Klamath County Sheriff's Office would lose its graveyard shift under cuts being discussed to balance the county budget.
In addition, one deputy would be eliminated from both the day and swing shifts, and a 44-inmate unit at Klamath County Jail would be closed.
Sheriff Tim Evinger presented those potential scenarios to the Klamath County Budget Committee during Thursday's hearing. Each county department head was asked to show how their operations would be affected by a 9.6 percent reduction in funding.
The potential cuts result from the loss of federal timber funds. Last year, Klamath County received $15 million from the program. Of that, 10 percent went into the county's general fund, 65 percent went to the county road department and 25 percent went to the county's two school districts.
No cuts have been made nor is it certain that across-the-board reductions will be necessary. Thursday's exercise was intended to give the budget committee information to consider before a public hearing on the budget, and final adoption by the county commissioners.
Evinger said 14 positions would be lost in his office. That includes five people who perform all operations from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Since the Oregon State Patrol doesn't operate around the clock, it means there would be no law enforcement outside of the city limits of Klamath Falls during those hours.
More than 90 percent of the calls during graveyard shift are for crimes in progress, Evinger said.
The sheriff said there's no way to come up with enough reductions without carving deep into personnel. His office would have to cut about $953,000 with retirement and salary step increases factored in.
“I don't want to see any reductions,” Evinger said. “We're understaffed now.”
Other positions that would be deleted from the sheriff's office include one of two civil deputies who serve court documents; a detective who investigates murders, rapes, burglaries and other felonies; one resident deputy in a remote area of the county; and one office clerk.
DA's office
District Attorney Ed Caleb painted the same picture. Cuts would eliminate one felony deputy district attorney, meaning charges wouldn't be filed on non-violent offenses such as theft and criminal mischief.
The loss would leave the DA's staff with eight attorneys, compared with 13 for Klamath Defender Services. Caleb said that would put Klamath County's law-abiding citizens at a disadvantage.
Budget reductions also would prevent his office from representing the Department of Human Services in child welfare cases.
Klamath County Juvenile Department would lose one group worker and the cook position in detention services. That means less direct supervision of those in detention, which director Glenn Vest said would put youth and staff at higher risk.
Youth detention
To avoid a potentially unsafe environment, he said, the department would have to cap its youth detention population at 14 to 16 instead of the current 20 to 25. More youths who deserve detention would stay on the streets, which Vest said would be “a source of frustration for the officer on the street.”
For the Community Development Department, a budget reduction of $66,000 from its current budget would eliminate one planner, director Jay Henry said.
The office would have to raise fees or take more time completing permit requests. The Planning Department processed 1,985 permits in 2006 - a 106 percent increase over 2004.
“A slowdown in the permitting processes could negatively affect the total amount of new construction authorized in the county,” Henry said in his report.
- Steve Kadel
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Stephanie Patterson Southwell wrote on Oct 4, 2008 6:19 PM:
" I came across this article and find it very interesting. My grandad was the "Southwell" in Southwell & Stilwell :) My dad and uncles were raised in Klamath Falls until they moved to the Portland area. "
Margaret wrote on Apr 29, 2008 11:19 AM:
" It appears the two negative reader comments are associated with the wrong article, as they do not seem to relate. It's unfortunate they are appearing after reading such a nice article about this concert. "
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Rebecca T wrote on Jul 10, 2009 9:16 PM: