The Union County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant on June 5, 2024, at a house on the 2700 block of Birch Street in La Grande. In a letter posted to social media on May 19, 2025, Union County Sheriff Cody Bowen announced the discontinuation of the task force due to lack of assistance from the city of La Grande. City officials, however, say La Grande is doing what it can with current resources. (Union County Sheriff's Office/Contributed Photo)

Union County sheriff, city officials trade jabs over sheriff’s letter

LA GRANDE — The discontinuation of the Union County Drug Task Force took center stage at the La Grande City Council meeting to adopt the 2025-26 fiscal year budget.

The council ultimately passed the $19 million general fund budget June 4 without any changes. The adopted budget includes a $5 million deficit.

“Now that’s a big number, but keep in mind about $2 million of that is (American Rescue Plan Act) funds that are already in the bank,” City Manager Robert Strope said. “But if you take that down to a ‘what is the operating budget of the city’s general fund that is running in the red’ — the answer is $1.2 million.”

During the last few years, La Grande has operated in a deficit and drawn from the cash it has on hand to maintain staffing levels, programs and services.

“We have $11 million in the bank,” Strope said. “So, we can cover that and not reduce services.”

Sheriff raises concerns

Following the budget committee meetings in May, Union County Sheriff Cody Bowen called out the lack of support from the city of La Grande as the primary reason behind his decision to discontinue the drug task force.

Residents showed up to the council meeting to advocate for the inclusion of a drug task force member in the upcoming budget.

Bowen also attended the meeting and addressed the council.

“My intent with the letter was to bring awareness to what was going on behind the scenes,” Bowen said. “It was not an attack on the city of La Grande and the police department. It was not an attack on the council or the mayor.”

The sheriff said the police department’s proposed budget originally included a request for additional staffing for the task force, but Strope cut that before the council ever saw it.

“My intent behind that letter was that there is a puppet master that runs this city and you guys only get to see what he wants to show you,” Bowen said. “The baloney that takes place behind the scenes is what I was frustrated with.”

City councilors respond

Councilor Corrine Dutto said this could be a good opportunity to improve the communication between the council and the sheriff’s office. She suggested Bowen could more regularly come before the city council to discuss ongoing issues.

Councilor David Glabe concurred there was a breakdown in communication. He said Bowen’s letter led the public to believe “untrue things” about the council’s view on handling drug issues within the community.

“We care deeply about the drug issue in our community. Nobody is shoving that under the rug. Nobody is turning a blind eye to it. Every person on this dias has had discussion after discussion after discussion about the drugs that affect so much of the quality of life in this community,” Glabe said. “I was thoroughly disappointed at the way that you chose to communicate your frustration because a lot of us — who are right there caring with you about this — felt thrown under the bus.”

He said it felt disingenuous when Bowen was invited to attend the budget committee meetings to discuss funding for the task force and nobody from the sheriff’s office showed up.

Glabe said funding a drug task force officer would mean pulling $125,000 from other places in the budget that people care just as much about.

Bowen said he would not apologize for his letter and he stands behind what he said in it. However, the sheriff recognized his approach might not have been the best and he apologized for the outcries directed at the city council as a result.

“Without law enforcement in the city of La Grande, without the support from everybody and the true understanding of what goes on with it, our parks and our roads and our everything else means absolutely jack s**t,” Bowen said.

Strope weighs in

“Normally I would not respond,” Strope said. “But frankly, I’m a little pissed.”

Two years ago when department heads were submitting topics for the council retreat, Strope said, La Grande Police Chief Gary Bell identified a potential need for a drug investigations position and two 911 communication positions.

“I knew we could not afford to do both,” Strope said.

So they had a conversation about the priorities for the police department and which positions were the priority. Strope said that without hesitation Bell answered communications.

The communications positions were included in the 2024-25 budget.

This year in preparation for the retreat, Strope said Bell identified continued staffing challenges and a need for more patrol officers.

“There was no reference to drug investigations in that request,” Strope said.

The La Grande Police Department is authorized to have 19 sworn officers, Bell said, which includes himself and Lt. Jason Hays. The department has 17 officers on staff due to hiring lags. Bell added two officers have applications with other agencies, so he could be down four officers in the near future.

There are also three detectives, Bell said, one of which is grant-funded and whose caseload is only special victims due to the grant requirements.

This leaves LGPD with 12 officers for patrol — one of whom is attending the state police academy with a projected graduation date in August and who will need additional field training upon return. The overall number of calls for service, as well as the complexity of those calls, has increased.

“Our officers are working their guts out,” Bell said. “Day in and day out.”

He said while he would love to have more staff, the police department will continue serving and doing its very best for the community.

Strope said the police department is about to enter into year three of collective bargaining agreements, and there have been “substantial spikes in inflation” the last couple years.

“I’m pretty certain that our labor costs for (2026) and beyond are going to go up,” he said. “And adding any continuing money positions on the eve of labor negotiations, when I’m looking at a $1.2 million continuing money shortfall in the general fund would be irresponsible.”