Sheriff: Funding shortfalls slash public safety services in Hood River County

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Jul 17

By Tom Peterson

Hood River, Ore., July 17, 2025 — Hood River County Sheriff Matt English announced this week that his office will operate with reduced capacity in several key programs after funding shortfalls at the federal and local levels left significant gaps in the public safety budget.

English made the announcement on Tuesday in a post on the Sheriff’s Facebook page.

English said the cuts will impact parole and probation services, marine patrols, mental health programs for first responders, search and rescue operations, and emergency management. He called the reductions unavoidable given the sharp decline in outside funding sources that his office depends on to supplement the voter-approved public safety levy.

Several of the cuts were due to federal cuts to Oregon due to its designation as a sanctuary state, English said.

“The levy-funded services remain intact, but the resulting cuts from other revenue sources will be seen and felt by our community,” English said.

Photo courtesy Hood River Sheriff’s Office

The parole and probation division has lost two positions — 40% of its workforce — after the state Legislature declined to fund the true cost of county supervision programs as calculated in a legally mandated cost study. The layoffs eliminate a deputy and a work crew supervisor, ending the 30-year-old work crew program. The division’s staff has now been cut in half since 2022.

The marine patrol program also took a hit after Oregon’s sanctuary state designation disqualified it from a federal Coast Guard grant. That loss forced a 30% reduction in state funding, and the full-time deputy assigned to the marine program will now split duties with the off-highway vehicle and U.S. Forest Service programs. A half-time deputy position covering Forest Service work was also cut.

A federal $300,000 grant under the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act, which funded peer support, in-house counseling and wellness activities for first responders in Hood River, Wasco and Klickitat counties, will not be renewed. English said his office had planned to expand that program to Sherman, Gilliam and Wheeler counties but learned those counties are no longer eligible due to the state’s sanctuary status.

Search and Rescue photo courtesy Hood river County Sheriff’s Office

Other impacts include a one-third reduction to the overtime budget, which English called a “necessary reality” in a state with some of the nation’s lowest public safety staffing ratios, and the threat of losing search and rescue funding if Congress does not reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools Act. Emergency management funding, also tied to federal grants, remains uncertain.

English emphasized that the public safety levy — renewed by voters last November with more than 73% support — is still providing essential funding, but it was never intended to cover the office’s full operational needs.

“At the rate the (Hood River County) commission approved, it was understood that there would be a need for continued support from the county’s general fund, grants, and funding streams from the federal and state governments,” he said. “Unfortunately, some of those sources aren’t coming to fruition this budget cycle.”

Despite the cuts, English said his office remains committed to providing the highest level of service possible.

“Despite the current setbacks, I remain committed to working with the county to find solutions that will help ensure the sheriff’s office can continue to deliver the services our constituents expect,” he said.