Troutdale council adopts FY2026–27 budget after tense public hearing over public-safety fee

Troutdale’s City Council voted June 9 to adopt the city’s fiscal year 2026–27 budget after a lengthy public hearing in which residents and budget committee members urged caution about raising a public-safety fee on water bills.

The budget was adopted following roll call (Councilor White voted no in the final recorded roll call; the remainder voted yes) after the council rejected an amendment to increase the general-fund contingency back to $3 million and to restore a $50,000 street-fund truck. The motion to amend was moved and seconded and failed on a recorded roll call.

Why it matters: the adopted budget implements a public-safety service fee on water bills that residents said is already a hardship; councilors framed the fee and other changes as necessary responses to rising public-safety and 911 costs and reduced revenues.

Budget committee process and public input Finance staff told the council the budget before it was the product of a multi-night budget-committee process that included statutory publication (LB-1) and public hearings. Tanny Staffson, chair of the budget committee, told the council the committee had deliberated extensively and recommended the package that the council ultimately adopted. “Sometimes a good outcome is when nobody’s happy,” Staffson said, describing the difficult trade-offs the committee faced.

Multiple residents urged the council to keep the budget committee’s cuts in place rather than restoring items. Kevin Minkoff, a budget-committee member, cautioned the council against undoing the committee’s votes: “I urge the city council and mayor to please take caution, slow down,” he said, arguing that reversing committee decisions would become a matter of public record and risk damaging public trust. Jean Bent, another budget-committee member, and several residents including Sherry Wyinners and Victoria Rizzo voiced similar appeals.

Public-safety fee and household impacts Several speakers focused on the public-safety fee that appears on water bills. One resident explained she had seen a $15 public-safety service fee on her bill and said the proposal to raise it toward $25 would be a hardship for people on fixed incomes. City staff and councilors explained the fee is assessed by equivalent residential units (ERUs): single‑family dwellings are one ERU, multifamily units are assessed at about 70% of an ERU and commercial calculations depend on square footage and fixtures. Staff also said the council has discussed pursuing an operations levy on the November ballot as an alternative funding mechanism, but that a successful ballot measure would not take effect immediately.

Amendment attempt and council reasoning Councilor One moved to increase the general-fund contingency to $3 million and to restore a $50,000 replacement truck in the street fund. Supporters of the amendment said delaying the vehicle purchase would likely cost more later; opponents said raising contingency to that level would drop reserves below the city’s historical comfort level and would send the wrong message to taxpayers while the city already asks residents to shoulder new fees. The amendment failed on a roll call vote.

Final action and next steps After the failed amendment, the council adopted the budget as recommended by the budget committee. The council also adopted a related resolution imposing and categorizing ad valorem property-tax levies for FY2026–27 and separately approved the procedural resolution certifying eligibility to receive state-shared revenues. Staff said the council will continue work sessions on public safety and possible alternatives including a Troutdale Police Department versus continuing a sheriff-contract approach. A public work session to compare options is scheduled for June 16; written public comment is invited for that session.

What to watch: the council’s upcoming work session on policing and subsequent decisions about public-safety funding mechanisms (operations levy, contract changes or a municipal police department) and any ballot measures the council chooses to place before voters.