Lane County may reduce the amount of money it’s collecting from its jail bed levy. That’s up to the county’sbudget committee, which meets Thursday, May 19th.
Lane County voters approved the public safety levy 3 years ago to help restore jail beds. Sheriff Byron Trapp says the levy has brought in $2.5 million more than was anticipated. That money has been put in reserve.
Trapp: “So it’s my position that government should collect what it needs to operate of the approved amount of taxes by the community but if we don’t need that level of taxes to operate, then it would make sense that the government wouldn’t collect what it doesn’t need.”
He says the county could reduce the amount it collects for the next 2 years of the 5-year levy. Right now it’s at 55 cents per $1000 assessed value of a home. He hopes the public will join the conversation about Lane County’s budget. The next budget meeting is Thursday evening at 5:30 at Harris Hall in Eugene.