EUGENE, Ore. — Lane County’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year (2025–2026) is now available, the county reported Wednesday. The proposed budget addresses an estimated $6.3 million structural deficit in the General Fund while striving to balance necessary reductions with preserving services.
“Precise tools, not blunt instruments, are what we need to solve our budget challenges and ensure we can continue to provide valuable public services,” said County Administrator Steve Mokrohisky. “We have to use a scalpel and look at everything, line by line, rather than take an axe to our programs and services. It’s the responsible approach to using our limited public resources for the benefit of our community.”
The county says, similar to many other local governments, Lane County’s expenses are growing faster than revenue; however, Lane County faces the additional challenge of an artificially low county property tax rate – frozen in the early 90s – and growth in assessed property value capped at 3 percent annually regardless of skyrocketing market values…