Clackamas County Sheriff's Office

Levy 3-246

Q. What is Levy #3-246?
A. The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Levy is a proposed funding source for the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.

Q. When can I vote on it?
A. It will appear on the Nov. 7, 2006 ballot.

Q. What happens if it passes?
A. Passage would mean five years of more Jail space, more Sheriff’s deputies on patrol, and targeted enforcement for methamphetamine-related crimes.

It would provide funds to re-open jail beds, restore and supplement the number of Sheriff’s patrol deputies, and adequately fund a targeted program to combat methamphetamine abuse and related criminal activity.

Q. How does the levy work?
A. The proposed levy is a five-year rate property tax. It would allow the county to levy taxes in excess of the current tax base for a time limited to the five-year fiscal period from 2007-08 through 2011-12.

Renewal of this levy could not occur without future voter approval. By law, the money raised by this measure must be used exclusively for the law-enforcement purposes stated in the Ballot Title.

Q. Why is the Sheriff's Office asking for this money?
A. The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office is currently funded solely by the General County permanent tax rate. The growth in tax revenues is not keeping pace with the rising costs of funding public safety services -- including the costs of keeping inmates in jail without early release, employing patrol deputies in sufficient numbers to respond promptly to citizen calls and targeting methamphetamine-related crime with a specialized enforcement program.

Q. Why does the Sheriff want to re-open Jail beds?
A. Since 2002, 84 existing jail beds in the Clackamas County Jail have sat unused for lack of funding -- while crowding has caused early release of many prisoners. Inadequate space at the County Jail resulted in the release of over 3,900 prisoners in 2005. [SOURCE: Clackamas County Jail Booking Data, Calendar Year (CY) 2005.]

Passage of this measure would fund the use of existing jail beds -- creating more jail space for prisoners and curtailing early releases of prisoners caused by overcrowding.

Q. Why does the Sheriff's Office want to hire more deputies?
A. Over the past ten years, Clackamas County’s population has grown by 15 percent, and calls for service have increased each year -- but the number of Sheriff’s patrol deputies has declined. There were more deputies in 2001 than there are today. When the number of Sheriff’s patrol deputies does not keep pace with population growth, call-response times are slower and sections of the county cannot be patrolled as thoroughly.

Q. How many deputies would be hired?
A. Passage of this measure would fund approximately 19 new Sheriff’s patrol deputies for Clackamas County.

Q. How would passage of Levy #3-246 expand enforcement of methamphetamine-related crime?
A. Passage of this measure would adequately fund an enforcement program designed to combat methamphetamine related crime -- including use, manufacturing, property crimes, identity theft, child abuse and child neglect.

Q. How much will the levy cost?
A. This measure would cost 24.8 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value in additional taxes. The cost would be approximately $4.13 per month, or $49.60 per year, on a home assessed at $200,000.

The proposed rate would raise an estimated: $7,819,355 in 2007-08; $8,171,226 in 2008-09; $8,538,931 in 2009-10; $8,923,183 in 2010-11; and $9,324,726 in 2011-12.

Q. How can I get more information on Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Levy #3-246?

A. Download the levy brochure (PDF)
Visit the Web pages of Sheriff's Office services affected by the levy:
Clackamas County Jail
Sheriff's Patrol Division
Special Investigations Unit
Invite Sheriff's Office staff out to make a presentation to a community group.
Give the Sheriff's Office a call at 503-655-8218.
Watch our informative "Fast Facts" video about the Clackamas County Jail.