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Scappoose review finds attendance falling at annual town meeting; council weighs school partnerships, format and marketing changes
Summary
City staff reported attendance at the April 5 annual town meeting fell from about 225 in 2022 to roughly 75 in 2025. Councilors and staff discussed shifting venue and time, hands-on exhibits, department head presentations, expanded marketing and a possible partnership with the school district to boost turnout.
AJ Johnson, assistant to the city manager and city planner, told the Scappoose City Council at a work session April 21 that attendance at the city’s annual town meeting has declined since 2022 and invited the council to consider changes to format, timing and marketing.
“This year to my count, we had about 75 people show up,” Johnson said, summarizing attendance for the April 5 event and earlier years. He told the council the meeting drew about 225 people in 2022, roughly 50 in 2023 and about 25 in 2024.
The figures prompted a broad discussion about how to make the event more engaging and useful. Councilors and staff suggested partnering with the local school council, moving some programming to the high school auditorium while using a middle-school cafeteria for tabling, and centering the event on department updates and interactive exhibits rather than a single long address.
Staff proposed…
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