[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6252578,"mediaKeyId","3187366-d833fdacabe2d46a89705da1ee480c59","parentId",3187366,"title","Public commenters press St. Helens on tourism contract revenue and event proceeds","audioSeconds",815,"startMs",493000,"endMs",1308000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3187366-d833fdacabe2d46a89705da1ee480c59&start=493&end=1308","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3187366-d833fdacabe2d46a89705da1ee480c59/thumbnail_493000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6252578/St-Helens/Columbia-County/Oregon/Public-commenters-press-St-Helens-on-tourism-contract-revenue-and-event-proceeds","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252578-dd06a91660c4ac09713d4576bd7d13ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1770627291&Signature=i7yftwhsyfapbqPAuF3u6gwgYJ2anGhpp9I6KFrVaIodV19JNj8e3RIfGg3DRh-nS6OaiPg517yMqB5aQ6GmndZAutFYSV6O3Mj6JnSGrllmHwQr2iUwQddPAdwPwEPPBvtPy8UvDOxImP2yRdBTg1w4P2fWYpNiDde-AcVyZP1lfftKWqfj-vqPXoZVGMkY6WLa~DPPs60NotlxhXRG~VbC0sQ51dfcJg4v4rMBzS56YW1cidfvfiH22luqc6e7v2wFFyqOo9WcAG4w8x5md2~eOxwOG~8Z9AIzoXPJKreuXtjdV03bBV~XzDBWqRebLPpjqy4-C5AR1tgwFkjJRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of St. Helens, OR","date","2025-05-03T20:39:51.953Z","article","During public comment, a St. Helens resident raised allegations about event revenue reporting and urged the city to redirect funds to support the local food bank rather than spending on Citizens Day in the Park.

The commenter questioned a line in the draft budget about tourism receipts and said: \"I also wanted to ask about the $453,000 that Treadway claims that they made off of Halloweentown, and that has been transferred to the general fund... I would like you to confirm that number.\" The speaker urged the committee to cancel a city event and use the funds for the food bank, calling the event expenses \"ridiculous.\"

Committee members and staff responded that tourism program funding is held in the tourism fund and that a third‑party event contractor manages day‑to‑day production and reporting. Finance Director Gloria Butch described the tourism fund as holding lodging-tax revenues and reserved funds for events and said the contractor is responsible for producing income and expense reports for the city.

A councilor inquired about historical receipts and asked whether the city had received the revenue levels the contractor proposed. Staff did not confirm the specific $453,000 figure during the meeting and said they would provide follow-up documentation when compiling answers for the committee.

Ending: Staff will include tourism revenue documentation and contractor reporting details in the Q&A packet for the next meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","5/1/2025 Budget Committee Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","A public commenter accused the city's tourism contractor and event partner of underreporting revenues and urged reallocating event funds to the food bank; the committee noted tourism funding remains in the tourism fund and contractor responsibilities are outlined in the contract.","taxTitle","St. Helens, Columbia County, Oregon","taxId",52788,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6252580,"St. Helens faces added costs on public safety facility: arbitrage and possible $2 million loan discussed",190,4284000,4474000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3187366-d833fdacabe2d46a89705da1ee480c59&start=4284&end=4474","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3187366-d833fdacabe2d46a89705da1ee480c59/thumbnail_4284000.jpg","/articles/6252580/St-Helens/Columbia-County/Oregon/St-Helens-faces-added-costs-on-public-safety-facility-arbitrage-and-possible-2-million-loan-discussed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252580-19bf09ad21af77976bd056042597014c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770627292&Signature=N~d7---zqqeEScnAou6wWtWfgFOKrLPfhbxaMBgZJ1hP8V6ochPS404i6TnUqSofhhQCuKyagRi1ul0RB3W4B25LEF9~-EhV4aTiuCEH2gU8-hqaC-UlpLiq70Q6KCkQoOAhdKE-Xh0nED8iD7EepaAkiirp0YG8TbrCi7kwFJGEo4KtAhtrO5A7Tg6Faq575CvFBE-h2coTyzmMP-pafLCvsDp6yEY~NuYg9Uf71mXRJDPDOMcqvdf1UC4bwDRvgIiDJcM8EZRHBaXEejOOh0EMsH3nm0Gi1Ad3AaTdn-Woh~Zb3OlqnhqItKn2Eeg3M2rVfaP-dxVwHLSoJO4DlA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City finance staff told the Budget Committee the public safety facility project will require additional funding to complete construction and pay federal arbitrage obligations tied to bond proceeds.

\"We anticipate that the proceeds from the original bond will not be sufficient to fully construct the public safety facility,\" City Finance Director Gloria Butch said. She said the city expects an arbitrage repayment after proceeds were invested and substantially unused for construction within the five-year window, and staff estimated an arbitrage liability of about $565,000 for fiscal year 2025 that could rise to roughly $665,000 when paid in 2026.

Committee members asked whether the arbitrage will be paid from the public safety facility fee receipts; Butch clarified the arbitrage would be paid from accrued interest earnings rather than the public safety facility fee. Committee members also pressed City Administrator John Walsh and staff for historical context about the original bond authorization and project scope.

\"The council initially authorized the issuance of $22 million in bonds ... the initial $15,000,000 sale was made to get the project going,\" John Walsh explained on Zoom, describing subsequent project downsizing and cost pressures that reduced the scope to a police station and increased costs over time.

Butch told the committee staff now anticipate another $2,000,000 loan to complete the project; that estimate includes property purchase costs. Committee members asked for documentation of earlier counsel or staff statements that the project would be short at the outset; Walsh and others said project design changes and rising construction costs affected outcomes.

No loan was approved at the meeting; staff flagged the financial obligation as part of the FY2026 overview and said they would return with more detailed financing options and documentation.

Ending: The committee asked staff to provide documentation about project estimates, bond authorizations and a financing plan for any additional borrowing before making decisions.","Finance staff told the committee bond proceeds and low construction spending triggered arbitrage repayment estimated near $665,000 and that an additional $2 million loan may be needed to finish the public safety facility and purchase property.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6252582,"St. Helens budget committee hears $3.1 million general-fund gap; water, sewer and storm rates eyed for 2026",487,1172000,1659000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3187366-d833fdacabe2d46a89705da1ee480c59&start=1172&end=1659","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3187366-d833fdacabe2d46a89705da1ee480c59/thumbnail_1172000.jpg","/articles/6252582/St-Helens/Columbia-County/Oregon/St-Helens-budget-committee-hears-31-million-general-fund-gap-water-sewer-and-storm-rates-eyed-for-2026","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252582-86182e4f6162d02d9d53bc93960d8ae3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770627292&Signature=frOh9AIRgM2o56cxt9kxUWNV~AqMDVQk0-g3PjYASXw0rdraHwvxZIxgvzr2aOXoLew3Ry-l8aPJLdOHMN015sv5md3DTbyFZpMzEmXDnRZeRn7bOtjLH8YLSXT~qpvQo2gUKxqE8X30AbmCIIXwxNQT4BvI5d6~KEg2dWUrPHx9vxaD5t~8qlSoIumEo~o1cQpCCkpgHafINaQzQd3aNo6O-Nh-SDbZDJGh3q-Ru8gqx0w~TN5Kji1HpPBP8EyD~q0jnFV4DABv5xtYcxbMUg9aWt1cxFqFeWur0GI959hC2Tla-vyDjGa3DiuQHQC1dD52q7Pkd-oouSHFtNXqww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City finance staff told the Budget Committee that the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget faces a structural shortfall and relies on a mix of one-time and recurring measures to maintain services.

\"This year's budget process has proven exceptionally challenging with difficult decisions necessary to maintain the city's financial health,\" Gloria Butch, the city finance director and budget officer, said as she opened the FY2026 presentation.

Butch said the general fund was showing a shortfall in the multi‑million‑dollar range and that the city had used nonrecurring revenue in prior years to soften the gap. She said the city's general fund reserve target is 20% and that without revenue adjustments the fund balance would fall below policy levels. The committee was presented scenarios showing how different fee levels and revenue mixes would affect reserves over a five‑year forecast.

Butch also related the city's recent credit rating action. \"As a result of the declining fiscal health of the general fund ... Standard & Poor's downgraded the city's credit ratings from double-A to A stable,\" she said, adding that the city continued to seek stable revenue sources.

For enterprise utilities, staff recommended modest rate increases to fund capital projects identified in updated master plans: a 2.9% water increase (estimated impact about $0.75 per household per month), an 8.1% sewer increase (estimated impact about $2.43 per household per month) and a 19‑cent monthly storm adjustment. Butch said an updated rate study is budgeted for fall 2025 to refine assumptions.

Staff also flagged a $10,400,000 sewer main upsizing project in a basin currently over capacity; the plan assumes related debt issuance incorporated into rate forecasts. Capital projects highlighted included riverfront and Columbia View Park improvements, completion of downtown infrastructure and portions of an industrial business park sale intended to return property to the tax rolls.

Committee members pressed staff on the assumptions behind the five‑year forecast and asked for a timeline showing when the downward trend in the general fund began. Several members suggested combining revenue and cost-control measures (fees, furloughs, COLA reductions and sale of surplus property) to limit impacts on residents.

Ending: Staff will return with more granular forecasts, departmental cost details and a Q&A addressing committee questions for the next meeting.","Finance staff reported a projected multi-million-dollar shortfall in the general fund, noted an S&P downgrade, and presented recommended utility rate changes to shore up enterprise funds and fund capital projects.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6252584,"St. Helens budget committee weighs new general service fee and risks to police funding",1432,1056000,2488000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3187366-d833fdacabe2d46a89705da1ee480c59&start=1056&end=2488","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3187366-d833fdacabe2d46a89705da1ee480c59/thumbnail_1056000.jpg","/articles/6252584/St-Helens/Columbia-County/Oregon/St-Helens-budget-committee-weighs-new-general-service-fee-and-risks-to-police-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252584-81e6d31cf622eb5281339ab75950466c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770627292&Signature=PmnLyMSVHCFsrhHndWgoId-2ZucVJwis-Y9J-mop71ym8byk6T4LuBU7Al8Zqw2E5OlWRlJ~GyAqKJpqbTWZ0TokFPtLJopJy7djMT9F4yfOJZy1Fo1AVEItG00yOzLxOx-YWAZT0uWyPXSi-uzaWRXxFEJ3c8~lV8atBg~egFVEAqWw8tqFY1dW69Ht8wy9y1M1T2MD17toO8ClyM2gF33CqiCBI9-ec2cllYiyBnWoPiRpaLB3RzQAE1Qg6D1sJlJh68G0ZOM-6MAlzZZUS7sOcDBaDf03AYp7hdNjBnTa8l3LXocRT2fH7cirIMZe8B1qFP00Mw3osn2focKXXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City of St. Helens finance staff laid out a proposal to introduce a general service fee billed on utility statements to help close a projected shortfall in the general fund, prompting questions from committee members about legality, equity and timing.

Gloria Butch, city finance director and budget officer, told the Budget Committee the general service fee would be billed through utility bills for efficiency and is intended to sustain core general services and restore reserve levels. \"The fee will be used to sustain all general services and maintain a 20% general fund reserve balance,\" Butch said during the presentation.

The committee discussed multiple fee levels and forecast scenarios. Butch showed a range of options, saying a $20 fee would leave a sizeable shortfall while a $42.10 monthly fee would bring reserves near 18% in the first year but decline thereafter under conservative growth assumptions. She emphasized the city modeled a 1% annual growth in housing units for fee forecasting.

City Attorney Ashley Wygott said she would research legal precedents and risks. \"I can look into\" precedents and city options, she told the committee, referencing a League of Oregon Cities survey of municipal public-safety fees across Oregon.

Members raised concerns about the proposal's distributional impact and the potential for legal challenges. Councilor Steve Toski asked whether the fee applied per dwelling unit; Butch confirmed the city would bill per dwelling unit (single-family homes, apartments, ADUs). Several members urged caution about placing a new recurring fee on households that already face rising utility rates.

Mayor Jennifer Massey declared a conflict of interest at the meeting because her husband is a city police officer and said she would not participate in police staffing votes; the committee and legal counsel discussed when that conflict would require recusal if future agenda items focused specifically on the police department.

Committee members debated alternatives including an optional tax levy, furloughs, a reduction in cost-of-living adjustments and one-time uses of sale proceeds. Financial staff noted an optional tax levy typically costs the city merchant-service fees and yields less net revenue than a utility-billed fee.

No fee decision or formal vote occurred; the committee directed staff to provide further analysis, legal research and public-facing comparisons. Butch said she would send comparative materials and a Q&A to committee members ahead of the next meeting and requested committee questions by the deadlines she set.

Ending: The committee scheduled a public hearing and follow-up discussion at the next meeting; staff will return with legal analysis, comparable-city data and updated financial scenarios for committee review.","City staff proposed a new general service fee to close a projected general fund gap; committee members and the public raised legal, equity and timing concerns about collecting the charge on utility bills and its effect on the police budget and reserves.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public commenters press St. Helens on tourism contract revenue and event proceeds

St. Helens faces added costs on public safety facility: arbitrage and possible $2 million loan discussed

St. Helens budget committee hears $3.1 million general-fund gap; water, sewer and storm rates eyed for 2026

St. Helens budget committee weighs new general service fee and risks to police funding