Less than a week after Grants Pass voters overwhelmingly approved the renewal of a local option levy to help pay for public safety services, the City Council decided to mail out a survey to citizens to identify their preferences for additional funding.
During its weekly workshop on Monday, the Council heard from City Manager Aaron Cubic, Police Chief Warren Hensman, Fire Chief Randy Delonge and City Finance Director JC Rowley.
Cubic said the City of Grants Pass is at "a critical point" in maintaining service levels for the police and fire departments. He said each department is experiencing fatigue and frustration while voicing the need for additional personnel.
Chief Hensman said his department feels like it's on an island as the only police agency in Josephine County providing 24/7 service. He said in 2013, there was a population of 35,076 in Grants Pass with 45,995 calls for service. In 2022, there was a population of 39,519 with 56,360 calls for service. A recommendation in 2014 called for there to be 60 full-time sworn officers, but there will be only 56 full-time officers at the start of 2024. There are currently 56 open violent crime cases and there have been nine homicides in Josephine County this year.
Chief DeLonge echoed Hensman's request for additional personnel and his feeling that police officers and firefighters are exhausted. Finance Director Rowley said it will take an estimated $4.5 million in additional funding to maintain current service levels, with $3 million more needed to increase fire and police personnel.
The City Council has identified a total of six options for additional funding: a public safety utility fee, a food & beverage sales tax, a citywide retail sales tax, a combination of the utility fee and food & beverage tax, a combination of the utility fee and retail tax, or a significant reduction of police and fire services.
The Council decided to mail out a citizen survey as soon as possible to identify public preferences among the listed options. Rowley said it will cost $9,000 for a special mailer containing the survey and the money can come from a General Fund contingency. The survey will include a section for public comments on the options.
