Jan 26, 2024 | AOC News
The Oregon Department of Administrative Services (DAS) has begun implementation of an innovative policy to support increased revenue for public lands counties.
Under House Bill 2174 (2021), upon request of a county, DAS is required to credit forest reserve funds that would otherwise be credited to a county road program, to a separate public entity created by the county.
This policy, developed by the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) in partnership with Representative Mark Owens (R-Crane), provides flexibility for county governments to increase federal dollars from Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILT) to support critical needs in rural communities by diverting the 75 percent of U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Title I payment to a separate public entity.
Funding credited to a public body under the new law is to be used in the same manner and subject to the same restrictions that would have applied to the funding under the previous distribution model, including, but not limited to, the statutory requirements related to a county road fund.
Counties may now submit requests to DAS by emailing DAS.Distributions@das.oregon.gov with the below information. The deadline for submission to DAS is March 1, and DAS expects disbursements from the federal government in April.
Information Needed:
- W9 – Include the TIN
- LGIP for new agency
- Memo to DAS, asking to add the LGIP account to the vendor profile
- County Ordinance declaring the road agency
- County Intergovernmental Agreement
DAS Staff Contact:
Laura Burnett
971-719-3183
DAS.Distributions@das.oregon.gov
Eligible public entities include:
- An intergovernmental entity created by agreement under ORS 190.003 to 190.130,
- A county road district formed under ORS 371.055 to 371.110, or
- A service district for roads established under ORS Chapter 451.
Jefferson County and Klamath County have passed local ordinances in accordance with HB 2174. These counties have offered to share their county ordinances and intergovernmental agreements (see links below) to serve as a reference for other countries exploring the new law.
Additional resources and information on road district formation are available in the AOC County Road Manual (Chapter 3: Road Revenue, 3.150 County Service District, 3.170 Intergovernmental Transportation Agreements, and Chapter 12: Districting for Road Purpose).
As an important note, SRS payments and PILT payments fall at different times on the calendar, and SRS payments must be allocated to a road district before increases in PILT can be realized. Once a road district is set up, and DAS is notified, they will set up a new vendor profile for the new district, as the payee, changing the payout from the county to the new district. DAS accounting staff will ensure the apportionment among counties of money received from federal government forest reserves is amended in the distribution formula pursuant to ORS 293.560 and ORS 294.060.
Contributed by: Jordan Cole | AOC County Road Program analyst
Jan 26, 2024 | AOC Business Partner
Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: Regence
If your New Year’s resolutions include improving your health, here are 10 things you can do this year with a little help from Regence:
- Make sure you have a personal doctor or primary care provider. Having a personal doctor makes it easier to get care when you need it. It can take a while to get in for an initial appointment, so schedule it right away. If you need help finding an in-network doctor, try our find a doctor tool or call us at the number on your member ID card.
- Get an annual wellness visit, which is covered by most Regence plans with no out-of-pocket costs. Your doctor can assess your overall health and give you guidance on how to improve. This baseline can be very helpful as you plan health and fitness goals for the year.
- Take care of your mental health. Make self-care a priority. If you’re struggling and need help, most Regence plans cover a variety of mental health care services and resources, such as one-on-one counseling, group therapy, medication, as well as self-guided well-being tools and virtual care options. If you have questions about your mental health benefits or need help finding a provider, sign in to your account to chat online or call us at the number on your member ID card.
- Get all your recommended health screenings, such as screenings for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers. Most screenings are covered with no out-of-pocket costs if you meet criteria. Talk to your doctor about which screenings you should get this year and sign in to your account at regence.com to learn more about your coverage. It may take a few months to get in for some screenings, so get them scheduled early.
- Get vaccinated. Getting all your recommended vaccinations for diseases like flu, COVID-19, RSV and pneumonia will help you avoid illness so you can focus on improving your health. Most vaccinations are covered with no out-of-pocket costs if you meet criteria. Some vaccinations, like the flu shot, are covered annually. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for help deciding which vaccinations you should get. Sign in to your account at regence.com to learn more about your vaccine coverage.
- Stop using tobacco. Most Regence health plans cover up to eight face-to-face tobacco use cessation counseling visits during a 12-month period to help you kick the habit. Learn more on regence.com.
- Participate in a wellness program. Many employer groups insured by Regence offer a wellness program that provides incentives like gift cards and cash for participation. Programs invite you complete a health assessment, then provide personalized programs and activities that can help you reach your self-identified goals. Check your account at regence.com to learn what’s available to you.
- Take advantage of any fitness and wellness benefits included in your health plan. Some plans include discounts on health-related products and services like fitness devices and gym memberships. You may also be able to use funds from your Health Savings Account or Flex Spending Account to help pay for some of these services. Check your account at regence.com to learn what fitness and wellness benefits are included in your plan.
- Familiarize yourself with all the care options covered by your health plan. Make sure you know when you should head to the emergency room instead of an urgent care or your doctor’s office, versus the virtual care and telehealth options available with your Regence plan. Knowing the difference could save you time and money, and it’s better to figure it out now instead of when you’re sick.
- Get help making healthier choices. For example, most Regence plans cover one-on-one nutrition counseling with a dietitian to help you improve your diet. The counseling can be especially helpful if you have certain medical conditions, such as diabetes or renal kidney disease. You can also get help managing your substance use, including alcohol, drugs and other substances. Many Regence plans include access to traditional and virtual substance use disorder treatment providers such as Boulder Care and Hazelden Betty Ford. To learn what’s available for you, sign in to your account to chat online or call us at the number on your member ID card.
Log in to your account at regence.com or call the number on the back of your insurance card to learn more about all what’s covered by your health plan.
Jan 25, 2024 | AOC Advocacy, AOC News, Transportation
The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) and League of Oregon Cities (LOC) continued the Transportation Funding Forum meeting series in January (watch recording), featuring presentations from Governor Kotek’s transportation policy staff and transportation stakeholders in the construction industry, the environmental community, transit, and freight carriers. The discussion explored the range of interests and priorities in the future of Oregon’s shared transportation system.
The forum series will continue through 2024 to further coordination, collaboration, and shared understanding of local government interests in the future of Oregon’s transportation funding system and increase transparent, partnership-oriented communication with state agencies, stakeholders, and the legislature. Upcoming forums will take deep dives into national trends in the future of transportation funding, explore local revenue options, more specific needs related to safety, bridges, and the multimodal system.
The kickoff forum meeting in August (watch recording) provided a detailed overview of federal, state, and local funding mechanisms and how these revenue tools work together to fund the current system. The October meeting (watch recording) featured presentations from city and county road departments to demonstrate the range of local jurisdiction transportation budgets and varied regional project priorities.
Contributed by: Mallorie Roberts | AOC legislative affairs director
Jan 25, 2024 | AOC Advocacy, AOC News
The 82nd Oregon Legislative Assembly will convene on Monday, Feb. 5, for a 35-day session. Legislators will return to the Oregon State Capitol, still under major construction, with the historic wings remaining closed. Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) members are encouraged to join policy steering committee meetings on Feb. 2, and Feb. 5, to learn about and weigh in on legislative concepts impacting counties. Members can expect email communications from AOC’s legislative affairs department with timely updates and action alerts related to high priority bills.
The AOC legislative affairs department and membership will focus their advocacy during the 5-week session on the following top policy priorities identified by the AOC Legislative Committee.
Community Development
- Advocate for a fast-track process for limited urban growth boundary expansions that significantly increase affordable and workforce housing in all communities experiencing shortages of buildable land. (LC 19 – Governor Kotek’s housing bill)
Contact: Legislative Affairs Manager Branden Pursinger, Natural Resources and Land Use, bpursinger@oreogncounties.org
Governance and Revenue
- Address problems arising out of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Tyler v. Hennepin County — limit county legal liability and create a standard process for how foreclosure surplus claims are handled. (HB 4056 – introduced by Representative Conrad)
Contact: Legislative Affairs Manager Michael Burdick, Governance and Revenue, mburdick@oregoncounties.org
Health and Human Services
- Establish a statutory process and schedule for a cost study of core behavioral health services (local services required in statute). (LC 115 – introduced by Representative Nosse)
- Mitigate liability risk shift to counties and local system providers for mandated populations (aid and assist, civil commitment, and guilty except for insanity).
Contact: Legislative Affairs Manager Jessica Pratt, Health and Human Services, jpratt@oregoncounties.org
Natural Resources
- Protect and enhance county authority, funding, and flexibility to support management policies and locally focused policy making processes across the Natural Resources portfolio.
Contact: Legislative Affairs Manager Branden Pursinger, Natural Resources and Land Use, bpursinger@oreogncounties.org
Public Safety
- Increase state investment in community corrections funding for the remainder of the 23-25 biennium.
- Elevate the county voice in Measure 110 reform, supporting policy modifications that prioritize engagement in substance abuse treatment, provide sufficient funding for county services, and strengthen tools the criminal justice system can use to fight illegal drug use and sales.
Contact: Legislative Affairs Manager Jen Lewis-Goff, Public Safety and Veterans, jlewisgoff@oregoncounties.org
Transportation
- Advocate for the statutory authority for counties to charge cost-recovery fees for permits issued to utilities for work in the county road right of way. (SB 1566 – Joint Committee on Transportation committee bill)
Contact: Legislative Affairs Director Mallorie Roberts, Transportation, mroberts@oregoncounties.org
Jan 25, 2024 | AOC Advocacy, AOC News, Governance, Revenue, & Economic Development
Among AOC’s priorities for 2024 is a bill to be known as HB 4056 that will create an orderly process to get refunds to property owners in cases where a foreclosure sale generates proceeds that exceed the property’s tax debt, penalties, and costs related to foreclosing. The bill solves logistical problems counties face in the wake of Tyler v. Hennepin County, a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that invalidated Oregon law dictating how counties handle such cases.
Most Oregonians are unfamiliar with the foreclosure process, and it has been years since the legislature made major changes to laws governing the process. Getting a bill about such a complicated topic over the finish line in a short session will be a heavy lift. For HB 4056 to win passage, dozens of legislators will need to have a solid understanding of how foreclosure works in Oregon and counties’ responsibilities surrounding it.
AOC was happy to secure time at the joint meeting of the Interim House and Senate Judiciary Committees on Jan. 12, to boost lawmakers’ understanding of the foreclosure process. AOC arranged for county subject-matter experts to present to lawmakers about what state law requires counties to do when people fail to pay their property tax on time, who tends to get caught up in foreclosure proceedings and why, what sorts of property tends to be involved, and the many ways counties work toward positive outcomes under sometimes very difficult circumstances. Marion County Assistant Legal Counsel Scott Norris, Josephine County Assistant Legal Counsel Stephanie Nuttall, Lane County Assistant County Counsel Emily Vario, Lane County Property Manager Kellie Hancock, and Deschutes County Property Manager Kristie Bollinger presented at the meeting and answered questions from lawmakers.
Their presentation is available for download here, and a video of the meeting can be viewed here (the presentation begins at the 48 minute mark).
January “Legislative Days” (Jan. 10-12) was the last opportunity to communicate with lawmakers on-the-record before Oregon’s “short” legislative session begins on Feb. 5, setting off a mad dash to move legislation before the final gavel falls a few short weeks later (March 10, at the latest).
While many of the bills to be introduced are still under wraps, some are starting to trickle out. AOC legislative staff have been furiously preparing for the sprint ahead, working to pin down details of lawmakers’ plans, and doing our best to ensure AOC priority legislation is in the best possible position to find favor with lawmakers.
Contributed by: Michael Burdick | AOC legislative affairs manager
