[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6029144,"mediaKeyId","5605194-3ac82297249a5651fc11de13e3443ee7","parentId",5605194,"title","Budget committee recommends 2025–26 city budget, approves cuts and a potential $17.2 million police bond for council consideration","audioSeconds",7319,"startMs",1067000,"endMs",8386000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5605194-3ac82297249a5651fc11de13e3443ee7&start=1067&end=8386","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5605194-3ac82297249a5651fc11de13e3443ee7/thumbnail_1067000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6029144/Dallas/Polk-County/Oregon/Budget-committee-recommends-202526-city-budget-approves-cuts-and-a-potential-172-million-police-bond-for-council-consideration","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6029144-685b452d249fece0fda227bc79fdb65c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770579816&Signature=HTk2phDoMx1erTGPvH9bofr2cC~L0bwKAiHMAHWaCzqFxAqeh3mLVYJgMxjmo2~RjsJxXRLfh9xxQcLG7zB8CseEmAOYdGEkCTheQcgEs0B9Wi68W0IJ2qJHUs~oSI4NGBvwRsaqItp4bTaPWqtm0kidxv9OyUOrkm7UMj-zDqpF4kTFJ47duOEgKEHXa5ZIUx9GiEZU3QAs~kHa39YsRCNhmWwkVwz5rVR5GqvnYJ6ET6~uUuq8F3XSVBmGcZKD-FPPO1leGvSq4zQdSBblLmuuMVyk61KkpEmXCMH3y59gY53wcEY5BbAaAn3CSbNkCwEhOEf52Ob-CCK0GLUOaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Dallas, OR","date","2025-05-12T00:00:00Z","article","The City of Dallas Budget Committee voted to recommend the City Council adopt the 2025–26 city budget as presented and amended, approving staff proposals that include a shift to a two‑year budgeting approach (for Urban Renewal as a test case), personnel changes, targeted cuts and several motions to add or remove specific capital and grant items.

Brian, a city budget staff member, opened the substantive presentation and described “some significant changes,” including that staff propose a two‑year budget cycle for the Urban Renewal budget that will serve as a test before moving the full city budget to a biennial process. In the citywide budget message he said the general fund is “feeling a squeeze,” highlighted rising personnel‑related costs such as health‑care increases and fully staffed public‑safety departments, and identified precision cuts and reassignments to present a balanced budget.

Key operational changes approved or discussed by the committee include:

- Personnel and reorganization: Public Works will eliminate several supervisor‑level positions and create an assistant public works director, a civil engineer, a support services supervisor and an administrative assistant shared across divisions. One planned Planner I position will not be filled and the administrative services manager is expected to be reassigned; the deputy chief position in Fire will be delayed and reclassified as a lieutenant, producing roughly $35,000 in savings by delaying the start date.

- Fire and EMS: The budget carries a higher overtime projection to cover mutual‑aid deployments and backfill; staff said overtime and professional‑services costs are driven by call volumes. The department is launching a multi‑year, tiered medical‑physical program for paid and volunteer firefighters for which volunteers will be asked to contribute directly. Staff also discussed ongoing turnout‑gear replacement and longer‑term equipment needs.

- Parks and events: The committee approved moving $12,000 out of the operating budget by not funding a Veterans Day fireworks display this year. Staff said the council’s Buildings and Grounds Committee will consider alternative veteran recognition options.

- Capital projects and fee changes: The packet includes multiple capital items and a proposed $17.2 million general obligation bond for a new police station that would appear on next week’s ballot; staff said that bond would be added to the budget only if voters approve it. The budget includes a $1.1 million share for a new Public Works building and multiple water, sewer and stormwater projects (examples: Clay Street waterline rehabilitation and Mercer Reservoir/raw water expansion work). The committee discussed EV charging stations that staff had placed in the capital improvement plan; Councilor Schilling moved to remove the EV charging stations project from the CIP and to reduce facility maintenance capital from $90,000 to $35,000 (removing a $55,000 line item). The motion passed after committee discussion that fees and contract revenue for chargers should pay operating and maintenance costs rather than the general fund.

- Grants and placeholder lines: The committee approved adding placeholder revenue and expenditure lines to accept an Office of Emergency Management award (OEM) and an Energy Trust of Oregon (ETO) grant (each entered as $5,000 placeholders to be adjusted when contracts are finalized). A separate Safe Routes to School ODOT grant and other project grants were discussed in the grant fund review.

- Fees and taxes: Staff reminded the committee the City has a public safety fee that increased gradually; this year the proposal included only a 33¢ CPI‑based increase tied to the fee resolution. The committee also moved to recommend the City Council adopt the permanent tax rate and approved recommending that the City levy the permanent rate of $4.1954 per $1,000 of assessed value; the rate was recommended so the city can collect property taxes consistent with prior authorization.

Committee members asked numerous detailed questions about contingency levels, the status of specific capital projects (Lone Oak Park, John Barnard Park, signal projects), the EV charging contract with EV Connect and the Pacific Power Foundation grant origins, health‑care plan options and the structure for evidence control and Police Department technology spending (car and body cameras). Staff noted several packet corrections made during the meeting (adjustments to three transfer lines and a $620,000→$62,000 correction to sewer debt principal). After a final roll call and motions to include the grant placeholders and remove the EV chargers from the CIP, the committee voted to recommend the 2025–26 budget to the City Council and to adopt the stated tax rate for collection.

The Budget Committee’s recommendation will go to the City Council for final adoption; some items (notably the police station bond) depend on a voter decision and will be removed from the adopted budget if the bond fails.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Dallas Oregon's URA and City Budget Cmte Meetings May 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The City of Dallas Budget Committee recommended the City Council adopt the 2025–26 budget, approved several departmental reorganizations and cuts, added placeholder grant lines, and removed city-funded EV charger work from the capital plan while the council considers a fee change.","taxTitle","Dallas, Polk County, Oregon","taxId",70314,"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},6029149,"Budget committee backs Dallas Urban Renewal Agency 2025–27 biennial budget, recommends maximum tax levy",778,136000,914000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5605194-3ac82297249a5651fc11de13e3443ee7&start=136&end=914","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5605194-3ac82297249a5651fc11de13e3443ee7/thumbnail_136000.jpg","/articles/6029149/Dallas/Polk-County/Oregon/Budget-committee-backs-Dallas-Urban-Renewal-Agency-202527-biennial-budget-recommends-maximum-tax-levy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6029149-e557aca9df5164ecbd08fdfd9192bd9c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770579816&Signature=MoFIEDennF2d3zIK2gI9KmATzNd4Y8zSUa7WhONvjA71g03kLd2b5HdIFCUn0jgg8GSEdFsKcVOsxDcDTWgjimqsY0SpT59naz18qPqqxtip70HAeOrDTam7wAwElF9xyaAQ6m4VqCs7drWb-jsUruaq-cqI1MyCFrfBRgmq31go170jij0wU7Z8-dIbQWecR4U0U5uKYZI-wzql1ozTCBd7TjzIayB5T0WEEM-ih3H5x~wIn~haJBiZwuGIQF-sM7dPTJ4LEhZj1nCPnndp~UMBGYgjbBjZanDNLZXtB5UhkOrlkkkxf~xY2QoC6LAtYXG8ZTwq-GNUX6t7cB31BA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Dallas Budget Committee voted to recommend that the Dallas Urban Renewal Agency Board of Directors adopt a 2025–27 biennial budget and to levy the maximum amount of property taxes allowed under the law.

The recommendation follows a presentation by Brian, a city budget staff member, who told the committee that “City staff is proposing for the Urban Renewal Budget to go to a 2 year budget cycle,” meaning the committee would authorize appropriations for two fiscal years instead of one. The downtown and South Dallas urban renewal districts will both continue to collect taxes and fund local projects, Brian said.

The committee heard details for the Downtown Urban Renewal Fund: staff estimate $495,000 in property tax revenue over the two‑year biennium, broken into $220,000 in the first year and $275,000 in the second. The budget keeps the Building Improvement Grant Program at $75,000 per year and the Minor Improvement Grant Program at the same historical level. On the expenditure side, the downtown fund includes $20,000 for project capital outlay and $100,000 for property acquisition; transfers to the general fund include $125,070 for debt repayment and an $89,151 interfund loan repayment tied to the 791 Main Street purchase. Brian said the debt service reserve is being zeroed out “because that’s not required, underneath our resolutions that we created to approve the debt in the first place.”

For the South Dallas Urban Renewal Fund staff projected $325,000 in taxes over the two years, split as $150,000 and $175,000, and noted higher-than-expected activity in industrial projects. The South Dallas budget includes a $250,000 professional‑services line “in anticipation of some big projects down there in the future,” Brian said, and otherwise places funds into contingency.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about the capital outlay line and whether the $20,000 was a placeholder; Brian said it was a set‑aside for projects that may arise and noted the 791 Main Street project could generate ancillary needs. Councilor Fitzgerald asked about the debt service reserve; Brian responded that transfers continue to pay debt but the reserve itself is not required by the original resolution and therefore was removed.

The committee approved minutes for the May 13, 2024 meeting, with one recorded opposed vote (Hogan). Michael moved to recommend adoption of the 2025–27 Urban Renewal Agency biennial budget and David seconded; the motion carried. The committee then voted to recommend the Urban Renewal Agency Board levy the maximum property taxes permitted by law; that motion also passed.

Nominations for the committee leadership were made and approved: Holly Williamson was nominated for chair and Rich Spofford for vice chair; the committee voted in favor of those appointments.

The Budget Committee transmitted its recommendation and the budget materials to the Urban Renewal Agency Board of Directors and to the City Council for next steps.","The City of Dallas Budget Committee voted to recommend the Dallas Urban Renewal Agency adopt a two‑year 2025–27 budget that continues work in the Downtown and South Dallas districts and to levy the maximum property tax allowed under law.","actionData","errors"]

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Budget committee recommends 2025–26 city budget, approves cuts and a potential $17.2 million police bond for council consideration

Budget committee backs Dallas Urban Renewal Agency 2025–27 biennial budget, recommends maximum tax levy