Troutdale council approves five-year extension of fire and EMS IGA with Gresham

Troutdale — The Troutdale City Council voted unanimously on Nov. 18 to adopt a resolution extending its intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the city of Gresham for fire and emergency medical services through June 30, 2031.

Councilor Carol moved to approve the five-year extension; the motion was seconded and carried on a roll call in which all present councilors voted yes.

Mayor David Richland and councilors described the extension as a short- to medium-term measure to allow Troutdale and neighboring cities more time to evaluate long-term alternatives, including forming or joining a regional fire district. City staff said consultants from Tiberius Solutions are preparing baseline tax-rate models and cost scenarios to inform that work.

"This gives us time to further consider this very complex fire funding situation," Mayor David Richland said, urging support for the extension so cities can continue study and negotiations.

Staffer Eric clarified that the extension takes the IGA to June 30, 2031, and that the agreement provides for a fixed 7.3% annual increase in charges from Gresham — down from an initial Gresham proposal of 10%.

Council discussion emphasized the fiscal trade-offs. Staff and councilors discussed example tax-rate baselines mentioned in the task-force work: $2.85, $2.92 and $3.73 per $1,000 of assessed value, with a higher-tier "gold" option cited near $4.69 per $1,000 that would include additional fire stations. Staff estimated capital needs in the range of $35 million to $40 million to add the roughly "8 and 1/3" stations referenced as necessary to reach target response times.

Councilor White raised concerns about budget impacts and the city's existing public-safety utility fee. "I did the math: $2.8 million over five years," Councilor White said during discussion, and noted the $15 public-safety fee is projected to bring in about $1.4 million per year. Staff warned that the IGA escalator outpaces projected tax-base growth (estimated near 3% annually), creating a recurring shortfall without other revenue changes.

Paul Wilcox, a Zoom participant, flagged technical edits in the resolution language and asked for clarity on how the public-safety fee is allocated; Wilcox noted a portion of the fee funds Multnomah County sheriff services as well as fire-related costs. City staff acknowledged and corrected a clerical reference to which amendment number the resolution implements.

The resolution includes a 12-month opt-out provision, a staffer said, and councilors described the extension as preserving an off-ramp while the four-city task force completes financial analyses. The task force will next meet Dec. 10 to review the scope of work prepared with Tiberius Solutions.

Outcome: Resolution approving a five-year extension of the Troutdale–Gresham fire and EMS IGA approved (roll call: all present councilors voted yes).