This morning, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners committed to making sure the District Attorney’s office and the Sheriff’s Office have the resources they need for normal operations while they continue to search for Kyron Horman. Kyron, a seven-year-old Northwest Portland boy, has been missing since June 4.
“A child has been missing for six weeks. Everyone is focused on finding him and bringing him home,” said County Chair Jeff Cogen. “I respect all of the hard work the Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office have done to get to the bottom of this case. This was not a tough decision; we are going to give them the resources they need to solve this case.”
A resolution before the board asked commissioners to release up to $438,643 of contingency funds to help offset some of the costs incurred by the Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office in the ongoing Kyron Horman investigation.
Sheriff Dan Staton withdrew his original request for $242,609. Instead, he asked to be able to return to the board to report and be reimbursed for additional expenses related to the investigation on a quarterly basis, beginning in October.
The District Attorney’s request of $196,034 was approved effective immediately and will fund one limited-duration Deputy DA and one investigator. Any unspent funds will be returned to the General Fund Contingency.
Contingency requests must meet specific criteria, such as being used for one-time-only purposes and to address emergencies and unanticipated situations. The General Fund Contingency balance is currently approximately $1.9 million. For Fiscal Year 2010, which ended June 30, 2010, the Sheriff's Office is expected to return up to $900,000 in unspent funds to the General Fund.
“There is accountability here,” said Chair Cogen. “The Sheriff and the DA have done terrific work in a way that taxpayers can be assured is fiscally responsible. This money is from the contingency fund and will not affect other county programs.”
The appropriations will be used solely for the costs associated with the Kyron Horman investigation. Sheriff Dan Staton and District Attorney Mike Schrunk intend to return to the board at a later date to discuss progress on the case.
Contact
Tara Bowen-Biggs, 503-988-5766
Marissa Madrigal, 503-849-6053