Lane County Commissioner Heather Buch Addresses Neighborhood Leaders

Discusses budget, public safety, mental health services, and recycling initiatives

Published on Mar. 3, 2026

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At a recent Neighborhood Leaders Council meeting, Lane County Commissioner Heather Buch provided updates on key issues facing the county, including a $2.9 million budget shortfall, plans for a mental health stabilization center in Springfield, and the county's CleanLane recycling partnership.

Why it matters

As a local elected official, Commissioner Buch's remarks offer insight into the challenges and priorities for Lane County, which impact residents across the region. Her discussion of public safety, healthcare, and sustainability initiatives demonstrates how county leadership is working to address community needs.

The details

Buch outlined several pressing issues for the county, including the need to balance a $2.9 million budget shortfall by the end of the fiscal year. She noted the county is facing resource reductions and structural issues, particularly with the sheriff's patrol, which currently has just three deputies and one sergeant covering the entire county at any given time. To address this, the county is reviewing a public safety task force report for options to improve response times. Buch also discussed plans for a new mental health stabilization center in Springfield, which would provide short-term care and treatment plans for both youth and adults experiencing mental health crises. Additionally, she highlighted the county's CleanLane recycling initiative, a public-private partnership to build an optical sorting facility at the Short Mountain Landfill to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, divert recyclables, and extend the landfill's lifespan.

  • The county will begin Budget Committee meetings next month to address the $2.9 million budget shortfall.
  • The mental health stabilization center in Springfield is currently in the process of getting the property annexed into the city.

The players

Heather Buch

A Lane County Commissioner who provided updates on key county initiatives at a recent Neighborhood Leaders Council meeting.

Tiffany Brown

The former Lane County Emergency Manager who recently resigned to pursue another opportunity.

Jon Stueve

The current acting Lane County Emergency Manager while the county searches for a permanent replacement.

Jensina Hawkins

The co-chair of the Neighborhood Leaders Council's Churchill Area Neighbors group, who asked Commissioner Buch about the county's CleanLane recycling initiative.

Randy Prince

A resident of the Amazon neighborhood who raised concerns about the county's emergency preparedness for urban wildfires.

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What they’re saying

“We are working on a budget coming up June 30. Like most governments, we need to have a balanced budget as of the end of the fiscal year, which is June 30. So, like most governmental agencies, we're seeing resource reductions going on. So we are looking at a budget hole of about $2.9 million.”

— Heather Buch, Lane County Commissioner (Neighborhood Leaders Council meeting)

“We're kind of concerned that our highly-qualified county emergency manager—we don't know what happened to her. Tiffany Brown is really about the best we could hope for—from the coast where they have to be concerned with tsunamis. And of course, the coast has these type of fast-moving fires like the Tillamook or the Bandon Fire the last century.”

— Randy Prince, Amazon Neighborhood Resident (Neighborhood Leaders Council meeting)

“You bet. We have an acting emergency manager right now, Jon Stueve. He was actually part of a small but mighty team of emergency managers at the county. And so he is our interim at the moment.”

— Heather Buch, Lane County Commissioner (Neighborhood Leaders Council meeting)

“This facility is meant to help reduce greenhouse gases, but it also will separate food waste from regular waste, capture that methane, use it as renewable natural gas, and then recyclable materials can be excluded from the landfill and sold on a third-party market.”

— Heather Buch, Lane County Commissioner (Neighborhood Leaders Council meeting)

What’s next

The county is currently in the process of hiring a permanent replacement for the Emergency Manager position, with the acting manager Jon Stueve as a potential candidate.

The takeaway

Commissioner Buch's remarks highlight the range of complex issues facing Lane County, from budgetary constraints to public safety, mental health services, and sustainability initiatives. Her engagement with the Neighborhood Leaders Council demonstrates the county's efforts to stay connected with local communities and address their concerns.