Council approves public safety fee ordinance after debate on outreach and timing

Sutherlin City Council on a second reading approved an ordinance to add chapter 3.18 to the Sutherlin Municipal Code establishing a monthly public safety fee, after a split vote and extended public discussion about timing and outreach.

The ordinance drew nearly an hour of council debate and public questions about how much revenue the fee would raise, how the council would oversee spending and whether the public had been adequately informed. Councilors ultimately voted to approve the ordinance on its second reading.

The fee was estimated during council discussion to generate “about $334,000 a year,” and the police chief told the council the proposed amount equated to “that’s, like, 25¢ a day to to cover the cost of the service.” Supporters said delaying the fee would push the city closer to service reductions; opponents and at least one councilor urged more public education and argued the city should reexamine current spending first.

Councilors discussed a possible one-year timeline for a referendum if residents sought to challenge the fee by petition; a councilor said that process would take roughly a year to collect signatures and process. Several councilors stressed the fee’s annual level would remain under council control: “By the design of the ordinance, it’s all directed in council’s hands every year,” a council speaker said, noting the body could increase, decrease or eliminate the fee in subsequent years.

Before the second-reading vote, an earlier motion to table the ordinance to allow more public outreach failed. The council then moved to approve the ordinance on second reading. The final recorded vote on second reading: Councilor Debbie Hamilton — aye; Mayor Blair Whitaker — aye; Councilor Lisa Woods — aye; Councilor Gary Daigle — no; Councilor Adam Sarnoski — aye; Councilor Sean Smalley — aye. The mayor declared the motion carried.

The council and staff discussed outreach options including additional town halls, social media, the city website and targeted communications through the police and fire departments. Several councilors and the mayor urged staff to continue community education while implementing the ordinance and to return with a review of revenues and expenditures after an initial period.

The ordinance will be codified as chapter 3.18 of the Sutherlin Municipal Code; the city attorney and finance staff will implement reporting and administrative steps described by staff during the meeting.

The vote sets a local mechanism for the city to raise restricted revenues for public safety; councilors repeatedly emphasized that future adjustments are subject to council action and public reporting.