Malheur County is tightening its spending for the year ahead, adjusting to the possible loss in millions in federal funding.
The Malheur County Budget Committee recently approved a spending plan for the next budget year, which starts July 1. The budget needs formal approval now by the Malheur County Court but county commissioners are part of the budget committee so the approval is expected.
The county’s total budget would go down, from $66.5 million in the current year to $65 million in the coming year. The general fund portion, using property tax and other local funds, goes from $25.4 million to $21 million.
Taxes on property owners for Malheur County operations are expected to total $6,875,700 next year, compared to the current amount of $6,460,975.
The full-time equivalent number of employees also will go down, largely because outside funding has lapsed for specialty jobs in the county Health Department.
County Judge Dan Joyce said spending is tight but residents shouldn’t see any change in services they get from county operations.
County Administrator Lorinda DuBois crafted the budget, shifting some county expenses to be covered by one-time federal money, reducing some spending, and turning down department requests for new spending.
“It should be clear to the public that county is being fiscally responsible with the funds we have and trying to make those funds go as far as possible,” she said in an email to the Enterprise.
DuBois took a cautious approach by not including a usual federal payment. The payment-in-lieu of taxes is meant to help entities such as Malheur County with costs in areas where the federal government is a dominant landowner.
Last year, the county relied on $3.3 million in such payments to cover costs. DuBois said uncertainty about future federal spending meant the county shouldn’t count on it again.
“That resulted in a significant shortage for the general fund,” DuBois wrote in a message to the Budget Committee. “Over $1.5 million had to be cut from the requested budget to balance the general fund.”
The budget is so tight that the county would go into the new year with no contingency. That’s money reserved typically for unexpected costs through the year.
DuBois and Joyce said that if the federal payment is restored, that money would be socked away as the contingency for the next year. Joyce said the national association that lobbies for counties hasn’t determined whether the money would be coming.
SHOPPING LIST
Malheur County plans to use federal money for a number of purchases in the year ahead.
Truck scale replacement – $70,215
Scale house- $50,000
Snow removal equipment – $47,000
Sheriff’s vehicle – $45,385
Jail cameras- $35,961
Sheriff’s garage repairs – $25,935
Jail storage unit -$18,761
Courthouse flow valve – $15,500
Goodfellow gate – $13,500
Weed Control flatbed – – $12,444
Courthouse chair lift – $12,000
Jail medical office remodel – $12,000
Meantime, the county will dip deeper into more than $9 million it has been holding on to after a special federal appropriation meant to revive the economy. Some $144,000 is budgeted for predatory animal control and $87,839 is for continued security for information systems.
The county’s most significant spending is for public safety, including $3.7 million to the sheriff’s office, $3.4 million for the jail, $1.3 million for dispatch operations and $1.6 million for District Attorney Dave Goldthorpe’s office. The district attorney is a state position but other staff are covered by the county.
The budget also includes pay raises for county workers, including all elected officials. The elected officials received only cost-of-living adjustments of about 3%.
Joyce, the county’s top official, will see his pay go from $95,748 to $99,576. In 2022, the salary was $82,739.
He is not the county’s highest-paid employee.
The top wage earner on the county payroll is Michael Heninger, a deputy district attorney, whose salary will be $129,60. In the next budget year, Sheriff Travis Johnson will be the highest paid elected county official at $114,804.
Others who earn more than Joyce include DuBois, Building Inspector Adele Schaffeld-Griffin, Road Supervisor Dave Tiffany and Josh Kreger, the county’s information services director.
Commissioners Ron Jacobs and Jim Mendiola, who are paid for half-time work, will see their pay go from $45,804 to $47,880.
