A newly passed state law is set to have a significant impact on Josephine County and other rural areas in Southern Oregon by expanding the ways counties can use their road fund dollars. House Bill 3328, sponsored by Representative Owens at the request of Grant County Commissioner Jim Hamsher, amends Oregon Revised Statute 368.706 to permit the use of road fund money for law enforcement patrol services.
Under the revised statute, counties including Josephine, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Grant, Klamath, Lane, and Linn can now use their road fund allocations—traditionally earmarked for road construction and maintenance—for the direct and indirect costs of patrolling. This marks a notable shift in how financially strained counties can allocate resources to public safety.
For Josephine County, which has long struggled with limited funding for law enforcement, this amendment provides a new tool to help maintain or expand patrol services without waiting for additional tax revenue or grant funding. Local officials have historically faced difficult decisions on balancing road maintenance with law enforcement needs, especially given the area’s large geography and limited tax base.
Under House Bill 3328, “patrolling” is defined as law enforcement activities that are either initiated by county deputies or in response to calls for service. The bill further clarifies how road funds can be used by separating expenses into two categories: direct and indirect costs.
Direct costs include expenditures that can be clearly traced to law enforcement patrols, such as deputy salaries, patrol vehicle maintenance, fuel, equipment, and supplies used during active patrol duty. Indirect costs cover shared expenses that support patrolling activities but are not directly tied to a single event or action—such as administration, depreciation of facilities, or dispatch center operations.
This new financial flexibility could help Josephine County address rising demands for law enforcement response times and rural patrol coverage without cutting other critical services. County officials have frequently cited a lack of funding as a barrier to providing consistent law enforcement in unincorporated areas, especially since federal timber revenues have diminished over the past two decades.
Opponents of similar legislation in the past have warned that diverting road funds could lead to a deterioration of transportation infrastructure, but supporters argue that the ability to ensure public safety on those same rural roads justifies the expenditure.
This law does not mandate the reallocation of funds—it merely permits it—so local county boards retain control over how and when to implement it. The Josephine County Board of Commissioners is expected to discuss how this expanded use of road funds might be integrated into its next budget cycle, possibly as early as fall 2025.
In summary, House Bill 3328 gives rural counties like Josephine a long-sought option to bolster law enforcement by legally reallocating portions of their road funds, allowing them to better respond to the public safety needs of residents without immediately seeking new tax increases or voter-approved levies.