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Scappoose council adopts FY 2025–26 budget, approves fee schedule including business-license change
Summary
Council adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 budget, certified eligibility for state shared revenues, and approved an annual fees resolution that raises the city business-license base fee while directing staff to pursue digital licensing and outreach.
Scappoose — The City Council adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 budget, certified that the city meets requirements to receive state shared revenues and approved an annual resolution updating fees and charges, including an increase in the base business-license fee.
Finance Administrator Carol Ulmer presented the budget changes the council approved after prior discussion, including a $200,000 addition to the water treatment plant roof line item and a reclassification of an urban renewal payment from transfer to revenue to comply with state guidance. Ulmer said the revenue reclassification increased general-fund contingency by $40,005 with no net increase in total budgeted spending.
Council approved Resolution 25-07 (certifying eligibility) and Resolution 25-08 (electing to receive state shared revenues) during the public-hearing sequence; Ulmer told council the shared revenue package includes liquor and marijuana tax distributions and amounts to a substantial municipal revenue stream.
Council also considered the city’s annual fees resolution. City Manager Ben Burgener and staff said departments proposed CPI- and cost-based adjustments. The fees resolution approved by council rescinds the prior year's schedule and adopts the 2025–26 schedule; among the changes, the base business-license fee was raised from $55 to $70. Burgener told the council the city plans to move licensing to a third‑party digital system to streamline renewals and reduce staff processing time; he said the vendor charge is about $15 per license.
Council members debated whether to adopt incentives for new small businesses or defer increases for early years, and several suggested the city produce clear one‑page guidance for new and renewing businesses to explain what the license fee covers and how the process works. Staff committed to produce outreach materials and to return with information about comparables from peer cities if requested.
By motion, the council adopted the budget, made appropriations, declared the ad valorem tax levy as provided by ORS 310.060(2), and approved the fees resolution. The transcript records no roll-call breakdown for each fee line item; the motions carrying the budget and fees were approved in the meeting.
