Lane County’s outgoing chair outlined his vision for how the region should address its housing crisis during the annual State of the County address Monday.
Chair David Loveall argued Lane County’s building department should do what it can to reduce and simplify building fees.
Loveall, who is a developer in Springfield, argued the private sector should play a larger role in fixing the region’s housing challenges.
He also argued individual community members, instead of the government, should do more to address homelessness.
“Affordable housing is subsidized housing,” Loveall said. “The term is misleading, and in 2026 I hope we'll stop using it. It's a model where someone pays more so someone else pays less. Our approach shouldn't be throwing other people's money at an issue with a hands-off kind of attitude, but one at some basic level puts the issue as everyone's responsibility.”
On Tuesday, Lane County commissioners will choose a new chair among their five members. That person will run meetings and be the face of the county for 2026.
Another priority for Loveall and several other officials is public safety.
Lane County’s elected sheriff and district attorney have said they don’t have enough attorneys or patrol deputies to handle the region’s growing public safety needs.
During his address, Loveall said he was concerned about the county not having enough deputies to keep rural communities safe. After his speech, he told KLCC those services need to be stabilized, but doesn’t believe his constituents can afford more taxes.
“I do think we're going to have to make some big spending cuts and what we do for the county, the string doesn't go from one to the other anymore,” Loveall said. “Something's going to have to fall off. But, I think public safety's the highest priority of our citizens and it should be because without public safety we don't have a community that we can live in."
The commissioners briefly discussed a potential public safety tax last year and will have in-depth budget discussions later this month. The budget is a months-long process that requires buy-in from the majority of commissioners, as well as public hearings and other opportunities for the public to weigh in.
Loveall also thanked the county’s workers for their dedication during a challenging year when public health and human services workers faced federal cuts.
He also praised efforts by county workers to build a new stabilization center, as well as less high-profile changes like Lane County’s new county clerk bringing back marriage ceremonies.
