Scappoose council reviews general‑fund shortfall, weighs levies, franchise fees and utility bill charge

Scappoose — Assistant City Manager NJ Johnson told the Scappoose City Council at a Oct. 6 work session that the city can balance its books today but faces a long‑term deficit in the general fund that must be addressed.

"While we're able to balance our budget today, looking forward into the future, we do have a deficit in the general fund that we need to find some way to address," Johnson said as he opened a staff presentation on the city's general fund and possible revenue remedies.

Johnson described three scenarios. The "bare bones" scenario would balance the budget only by cutting staff, deferring maintenance and halting special projects; Johnson said it would remove roughly four police officers. The "quality operations" scenario, which Johnson presented as the typical standard for well‑run cities, showed an approximate $1 million deficit; an "aspirational" scenario showed roughly a $2 million gap.

Why it matters: the general fund supports core city services — administration, planning, police, municipal court and parks — and represents about one‑quarter of Scappoose's overall budget. Councilors said decisions will affect police staffing and community services and that council must set service‑level goals before choosing revenue sources.

Options presented

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