Wasco County amends 2025 budget to cover community corrections shortfall, preserves Norcore funding
August 06, 2025 | Wasco County, Oregon
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Wasco County commissioners on Aug. 6 approved a budget amendment to absorb a cut in state grant-in-aid funding for community corrections while maintaining the county’s 40% allocation to Norcore.
The amendment follows a lower-than-expected grant-in-aid award from the Legislature that reduced the county’s anticipated revenue by about $209,000. The board voted unanimously to approve Resolution 205-17 to reallocate funds and keep Norcore whole.
The shortfall was described to commissioners by Fritz, a community corrections staff member. Fritz said the Legislature’s cuts followed a revised state revenue forecast and left the county below the amounts used when the county adopted its budget earlier this year. He told the board the $209,000 shortfall is being absorbed through a split between the department’s contingency fund and county general funding (about $83,000 and $125,000 respectively), and that internal adjustments will prevent service reductions.
“The long and the short of it,” Fritz said, “we can absorb that budget. Budget-wise, we’ve sorted all that out internally. I have a contingency fund and ways to manage that.”
Fritz told the board that Norcore historically receives 40% of the county’s grant-in-aid distribution and that the amendment is intended to protect that commitment without overextending county resources or the grant-in-aid program. He cautioned, however, that much of the county’s additional programming has relied on short-term grants and that those are not guaranteed.
Commissioners asked whether the reduction would be visible in services. Fritz said the amount is “somewhat minor” relative to the full program and that recent new grants—including treatment-court grants and Justice Reinvestment Program funding—have helped offset some of the loss but create more uncertainty because they must be reapplied for periodically. He said he plans to present a biennial plan to the board at a future meeting, including recidivism data from the county’s residential ‘house’ program dating to April 2017.
Action: Commissioner (mover) made the motion to approve Resolution 205-17; a second was recorded; the board voted unanimously (Chair and commissioners voting yes). The motion outcome was “approved.”
Why it matters: The amendment shields a longstanding county commitment to Norcore and avoids immediate service reductions for community corrections. It also underscores the county’s reliance on a mix of state grant-in-aid and competitive grants, which leaders said increases administrative burden and funding uncertainty.
What’s next: Fritz will present the biennial plan at a future meeting with updated recidivism and program data; commissioners and staff will monitor grant renewals and any further state-level budget developments.
The amendment follows a lower-than-expected grant-in-aid award from the Legislature that reduced the county’s anticipated revenue by about $209,000. The board voted unanimously to approve Resolution 205-17 to reallocate funds and keep Norcore whole.
The shortfall was described to commissioners by Fritz, a community corrections staff member. Fritz said the Legislature’s cuts followed a revised state revenue forecast and left the county below the amounts used when the county adopted its budget earlier this year. He told the board the $209,000 shortfall is being absorbed through a split between the department’s contingency fund and county general funding (about $83,000 and $125,000 respectively), and that internal adjustments will prevent service reductions.
“The long and the short of it,” Fritz said, “we can absorb that budget. Budget-wise, we’ve sorted all that out internally. I have a contingency fund and ways to manage that.”
Fritz told the board that Norcore historically receives 40% of the county’s grant-in-aid distribution and that the amendment is intended to protect that commitment without overextending county resources or the grant-in-aid program. He cautioned, however, that much of the county’s additional programming has relied on short-term grants and that those are not guaranteed.
Commissioners asked whether the reduction would be visible in services. Fritz said the amount is “somewhat minor” relative to the full program and that recent new grants—including treatment-court grants and Justice Reinvestment Program funding—have helped offset some of the loss but create more uncertainty because they must be reapplied for periodically. He said he plans to present a biennial plan to the board at a future meeting, including recidivism data from the county’s residential ‘house’ program dating to April 2017.
Action: Commissioner (mover) made the motion to approve Resolution 205-17; a second was recorded; the board voted unanimously (Chair and commissioners voting yes). The motion outcome was “approved.”
Why it matters: The amendment shields a longstanding county commitment to Norcore and avoids immediate service reductions for community corrections. It also underscores the county’s reliance on a mix of state grant-in-aid and competitive grants, which leaders said increases administrative burden and funding uncertainty.
What’s next: Fritz will present the biennial plan at a future meeting with updated recidivism and program data; commissioners and staff will monitor grant renewals and any further state-level budget developments.
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