Gov. John Kitzhaber warned Monday that he could be forced to mobilize the National Guard to police financially troubled timber counties if legislators and local officials can't agree on a rescue plan to provide basic law enforcement.

Kitzhaber urged lawmakers to pass an unprecedented measure that would allow him -- with the approval of legislative leaders and local county commissioners -- to impose a temporary local income tax in counties that have slashed patrol, jail and prosecutorial services. Under

, those local taxes would be matched with an equal amount of money from state taxpayers.

Kitzhaber and several key legislative leaders are pressing ahead with the bill after Josephine and Curry counties

. The two counties, which have lost the federal timber payments that once paid for most of their local operations, have largely halted their sheriff's patrols and cut the number of jail beds in use.

"While we struggle with a longterm solution," Kitzhaber told the House Rules Committee, "we cannot sit idly by and watch these counties slip into a potentially grave situation in regards to public safety."

The governor added that the "tools I have available now are pretty much mobilizing the Natural Guard," which he called an "unpalatable option."

Under questioning, Kitzhaber said that he would first look at another option --asking legislators for more money for state police patrols in troubled counties.

"If I was unable to get that, I'd have about no other resources than the National Guard," he said, adding that the state has a "moral obligation" to preserve the public safety in those counties.

The governor said an income tax would be a better option than a property tax because it would affect those who have more ability to pay.

However, HB 3453 ran into strong opposition from several officials from Josephine County, which has a

.

Rep. Wally Hicks, R-Grants Pass, said he was working on an amendment that would instead give the county a share of the property taxes it raises for schools and other services. In addition, the county should also be allowed to keep some of the lottery proceeds generated by county residents, he said.

Former Josephine County Commissioner Harold Haugen said it would also be cheaper for the state to contract with the sheriff's office to keep some deputies on patrol than to bring in the state police or the National Guard. He also argued that the state should take over the cost of paying for local prosecutors because it's a basic state function.

Curry County Commissioner David Brock Smith said his county commission could accept a local income tax, particularly if ways could be found to keep it to a rate of no more than 6 percent or 7 percent.

Curry commissioners also may ask voters again in September to consider higher property taxes.

Rep. Bruce Hanna, R-Roseburg, said the legislation was designed so that the "state would share in some of the sacrifice" and that no income tax would be imposed without the agreement of legislative leaders of both parties.

He acknowledged that the bill would put county commissioners on the "hot seat" if they had to approve new taxes after their own voters had repeatedly rejected tax hikes.

If a county commission refuses to accept the rescue plan, Hanna said, "then that hot seat is going to change from the county commissioner's chair to the governor's chair (to figure out) how do you solve this problem. Do you watch the ship sink?"

--Jeff Mapes