Lane County commissioners approved a plan Wednesday, Oct. 14, to dip into county reserves and use nearly $5 million to partially plug a hole in the county’s community corrections services budget.
County commissioners said it comes in response to state revenues that fail to keep pace with costs and the county’s workload. Earlier this year, county officials projected a budget gap of more than $8 million to fully fund community corrections, which serves thousands of people in the county every year, providing parole supervision, shelter and behavioral health services.
The funding will help the county avoid deeper cuts and keep intact for now services that include parole officers and a sheriff’s work crew. But officials warned that they need a long-term solution after the current two-year budget cycle ends in 2027…