Josephine County

On Wednesday, the Josephine County Board of Commissioners approved a petition allowing two residents to opt out of the local library tax district, creating fears of setting a precedent for other taxes.

The sheriff's department has long been underfunded and has been searching for permanent stability.

Residents in Josephine County have the opportunity to provide input on the creation of a rural fire district at a town hall meeting this Thursday. County commissioners are looking at their options when dealing with this previously unpopular idea.

A group of wildfires called the Smith River Complex has been burning near the Oregon-California border for over a week, forcing Highway 199 to close. In the Illinois Valley, business owners that rely on visiting tourists are struggling.

A nonpartisan group called Citizens for Responsible Government is currently gathering voter signatures for a petition to replace the Josephine County charter. They say that doing so will ensure better representation for all voters in the Southern Oregon county.

In recent years, state lawmakers in Oregon have given over $25 million dollars in funding to combat illegal cannabis production in the state.

On Wednesday morning, the Josephine County Board of Commissioners approved a ballot measure that would increase funding for law enforcement in the county.

The Josephine County Sheriff's Department is searching for a new way to create stability after years of being underfunded. The proposed taxing district would cover all of Josephine County except for Grants Pass.

Jackson County is cutting ties with neighboring Josephine County over a shared emergency alert system. Officials with the two counties differ on emergency management philosophies.

The Josephine County commissioners made a decision to move where the county publishes public notices from the Grants Pass Daily Courier to the much smaller Illinois Valley News.

Voters in Josephine County have voted down a 3% seasonal sales tax that would have supported their historically underfunded sheriff’s department.

County residents will decide whether to support a 3% seasonal sales tax this November. If approved, it would go to the county’s underfunded sheriff’s department and other public safety offices.