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Public sharply divided at council meeting over Measure 3632 amendment on urban renewal voting
Summary
A large block of public comment focused on Measure 3632, a citizen initiative that would change Wilsonville's charter and urban renewal voting processes; speakers presented sharply opposing views about transparency, delay risk, and whether the measure would preserve or cripple the city's ability to use urban renewal.
A lengthy public comment period at the April 20 meeting centered on Measure 3632, a ballot initiative that would amend Wilsonville's charter to require voter approval and set notice and referendum thresholds for urban renewal actions.
Supporters of the measure told council they sought to restore voter oversight and blunt perceived insider influence over large urban renewal plans. "Trust is earned and right now this measure is how the people of Wilsonville restore it," said Kyle Bunch, who described the measure as restoring power to voters and reducing influence by outside organizations.
Opponents argued the measure embedded long delays, one-sided ballot-language requirements, and could make urban renewal effectively unusable, increasing costs and reducing the city's ability to invest. "Measure 3632 would replace [smart planning] with delay, risk, and gridlock," said Cornelia Gibson, a long-term resident, who said the citizen summary in the ballot pamphlet omits the measure's full legal text.
Speakers from both sides raised procedural and constitutional concerns. Several speakers pointed to examples in other jurisdictions where similar measures either froze urban renewal use or had later technical fixes; others warned that a 5% referendum trigger and 90-day blackout periods would give small minorities outsized influence and hamper timely project delivery.
Council members did not take a formal vote on the ballot measure during the meeting; several councilors said they had publicly stated positions and planned to proceed with a November urban-renewal vote for the town center plan regardless of the outcome of Measure 3632.
The city will continue to host public information opportunities before the May ballot so voters can compare the full text to summaries and review potential fiscal consequences.
