Grant County Sheriff Todd McKinley said John Day losing its small police force — only two officers at the time of its closure — has further strained his department. The sheriff’s office has eight people to patrol the entire county, he said.
A John Day police funding ballot measure couldn’t muster enough support last year, and with the sheriff’s office feeling the effects of the fallout, Grant County leaders are debating whether to return to the ballot box.
The judge and commissioners of the Grant County Court, the county government’s top elected body, discussed putting a five-year public
safety levy on the November ballot at a Wednesday meeting. The debate
came after John Day, the county’s largest city, dissolved its police department in 2022.
John Day sought a levy of its own in a 2021 special election, according to the Blue Mountain Eagle. And although a majority voted for the measure, which would have added $50,000 to the police budget, the small city couldn’t clear the 50%voter turnout threshold required to pass a new tax.
Grant County Sheriff Todd McKinley said John Day losing its small police force — only two officers at the time of its closure— has further strained his department. The sheriff’s office has eight people to patrol the entire county, he said. That includes himself and other administrators.
At 7,200 people, Grant County is one of Oregon’s smallest counties by population. But McKinley said the county’s residents are spread across
4,500 square miles, meaning deputies are often traveling long distances to respond to calls. With the John Day Police Department gone, the sheriff’s office is the last law enforcement agency in the county.
McKinley said he needs funding to hire two more deputies to help make up for the gap left behind by the defunct John Day Police Department. The Grant County budget committee also wants to boost the sheriff’s budget and recommended a five-year levy expected to raise $400,000 per year for
public safety.
The recommendation had the support of County Commissioner John Rowell, who made a motion to put the levy on the November ballot.
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