Polk County Itemizer-Observer • February 4, 2015 17A
Polk County News
Questions: Details about safety levy revealed
Continued from Page 1A
z Why can’t money be transferred from other depart-
ments, such as mental health and public works, to fund the
public safety departments?
When looking at the budget, it’s easy to ask that question. The
county’s behavior health (formerly mental health) department
budget sits at more than $10 million and public works has $6.8
million. However, those departments depend on dedicated
funding — a.k.a. state and federal money — to provide servic-
es. No money from the county’s general fund is given to those
departments. Reallocating funding to public safety from those
agencies wouldn’t only shortchange services they provide, it
would also be illegal.
{ How would the levy specifically help the Polk County
Sheriff’s Office?
It would restore 24-hour patrol coverage, revive the now-inac-
tive Polk County Interagency Narcotics Team (POINT), provide
for better courtroom security, and ease the amount of over-
time being used at the Polk County Jail, sitting at $79,000 as of
the end of December. Restoring 24-hour coverage would
mean deputies would be available to back up city police and
local fire departments on calls at all times.
Measure 11 charges, which include serious crimes committed
against another person, such as murder, assault, rape and kid-
napping. Rental rates cost $162 per day. Resources also would
be available to provide part-time managers for more weekend
community service crews.
|
~
How would the levy specifically help the Polk County
District Attorney’s Office?
District Attorney Aaron Felton has said the impact would be
“transformational.” The office would once again be able to put
more focus on areas of prosecution it can’t now. That would in-
clude assigning prosecutors to certain types of cases, includ-
ing juvenile, drug offenses, elder abuse and financial crime.
What happens if the levy fails again?
“My hope is we don’t have further reductions,” Hansen said of
the 2015-16 budget. It’s too early in budget planning to have
a good idea of the revenue picture, though all indications
show tax revenue will be up slightly, Hansen said. Other
sources of revenue — such as the money the state provides
community corrections to supervise offenders — is up in the
air until the legislature approves the 2015-17 budget. Hansen
said it could be lower because funding is based on the num-
ber of arrests, and with reduced patrol hours, arrests in Polk
County have gone down. What is known on the expenditure
side is a $350,000 increase in PERS costs and an expected in-
crease in employee insurance costs.
}
How would the levy specifically help community cor-
rections and the juvenile departments?
The levy would pay for two more juvenile detention beds,
bringing the total to six. Currently, the county often has to rent
additional space for juvenile detainees, especially those facing
Decision: May 19 election
leaves little campaign time
Continued from Page 1A
Now the clock is ticking
for levy supporters.
With voters saying a re-
sounding “no” to the first
public safety levy the county
put before voters in Novem-
ber 2013, the pressure is high
to build a strong — and suc-
cessful — campaign.
“I just am concerned that
it’s a pretty aggressive cam-
paign and it’s going to have
to be aggressive in order to
pass it,” Sheriff Bob Wolfe
said. “Without a lot of com-
munity involvement, I think
the passage of it is a 50-50
chance.”
Polk County District Attor-
ney Aaron Felton said the
public hearings have provid-
ed a foundation, but said,
“We are going to have to
work really, really hard and
really fast to continue to get
the word out.”
Felton and Wolfe are not
alone in that concern. May-
ors of the five Polk County
cities, including Salem,
wrote of their support for a
lengthier campaign early in
the process. However, both
Dallas Mayor Brian Dalton
and Salem Mayor Anna Pe-
terson pledged support for
the levy at recent public
hearings.
“Dallas is a small town
and rumors have a way of
getting around, such as the
rumor that I do not support
the levy,” Dalton said on Jan.
28. “This is manifestly un-
true. My support is uncondi-
tional. It does not depend on
when you choose to put it on
the ballot; it does not de-
pend on the tax rate.”
Dalton called the levy
“good public policy in diffi-
cult circumstances” and his
only reservation about tim-
ing was that he believed co-
operation between the coun-
ty and cities is needed to
pass the levy. A May election
puts that on a short timeline.
Wheeler thanked Dalton
for his support and apolo-
gized for what she said was
miscommunication that
may have led to the rumor.
Dallas resident Rod
Buchanan announced Jan.
28 that a political action
committee has already been
formed to support the levy.
“The three commission-
ers, they need to step up on
this levy,” Buchanan said.
“They are responsible, but
we are also responsible. They
can work really hard, but if
we don’t do our job, it isn’t
going to happen.”
Wolfe said it was reassur-
ing that a PAC had formed.
“That is a step in the right
direction,” he said. “That is
an indication that the com-
munity is already getting be-
hind this.”
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