Eugene (KMTR) - Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown calls the new financial report a "bird's eye view" of what the state’s counties are facing now, and in years to come. She hopes putting all the information in one place can help guide counties in decision-making, and increase accountability.
Some high points of Lane County's report: good debt management, and ability to pay short-term liabilities. Areas for improvement: a high dependence on timber payments—which are about to end—high pension obligations, and the seventh-lowest property tax rate in the state.
Secretary Brown says it's vital for Oregonians to learn about the challenges facing our counties, and this report is a great place to start.
Another goal of the audit is to better educate legislators about what the needs are statewide so they can help meet those needs in the 2013 session. The report does not offer solutions to challenges presented; Secretary Brown says those should be handled on a local level, but there are opportunities to learn from success stories in other counties.
The report is available online here. It's about seventy pages long, and also covers Coos, Curry, and Douglas counties.
