BEND, OR -- Deschutes County Commissioners are on track to adopt the 2025 operating budget in June. After a week of budget meetings, Commissioner Tony DeBone told KBND News the board, "Didn’t make too big changes of the proposed budget. It really adds up to a big number, though: $628 million."

While that's much higher than the 2024 budget, DeBone says the county’s property tax rate isn’t changing. "Last year, we maximized our tax rates: six cents in the general fund, sheriff’s office went up a little bit. So, we’re not really changing the tax rate this year. But this is inflation. This last year was kind of the step. It went into our budget. So, last year’s rates that went up kind of put that inflation into the budget and now we’re on a steady run on the tax rate."

Additional funding is coming to the county from state and federal sources to pay for some big-ticket projects. "We’re going to be implementing the deflection program; so that’s the House Bill 4002. The legalization of drugs, now we’re dialing it back a little bit. So a deflection program’s being put in place. Also building out that courthouse; so that’s the $40 million capital project in downtown Bend for the Circuit Court," said DeBone. "We’re going to do $10 million in capital road improvements: A few more roundabouts in the rural [areas]. But, we’re still able to spend money and build the capacity of Deschutes County." He added, "I remember thinking, ‘$500 million is a half a billion.’ And now we’re at $628 [million], so it’s really getting bigger over time. But a lot of great services; a lot of federal and state money coming through to provide services for people."

Deschutes County Commissioners expect to approve the new operations budget in June, before the fiscal year begins in July.