Lane County avoided making further cuts to police services next year despite expiring funding by dipping into tax dollars historically reserved for tourism.
Lane County’s budget committee approved the local government’s budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, which avoids sheriff office cuts by using funds from the Transient Lodging Tax. The move drew sharp criticism from leaders in the tourism industry.
Lane County has a $1.2 billion annual budget, but the general fund, made of local property taxes and which comes with more flexibility than the rest of the county’s budget, makes up just 14.6% of that…