Forest Grove council backs 20-year term for police facility bond and directs staff to draft ballot language

Forest Grove, Ore. — The Forest Grove City Council on June 8 agreed by consensus to ask staff to draft ballot language for a police facility bond structured as a 20-year term and to place the measure on the November 2026 general-election ballot.

Assistant City Manager Kim Eel told council the purpose of the session was to review recent polling and May 2026 election results and to secure council direction on bond structure so staff could prepare ballot title language. Eel said staff’s timeline requires final direction this summer because the deadline to submit a ballot title is August 14.

“Next, when we bring back draft ballot language, it will include that there is a 20-year term on the bond,” Eel said.

Staff summarized earlier polling that showed a viable path to passage if the city conducts a robust public information campaign; the January survey found the bond polled best with women, voters over 50, unaffiliated voters and some registered Republicans, while registered Democrats were the least supportive subgroup in that sample. The staff presentation also reviewed statewide and metro-level results from the May 2026 election as context for voter turnout expectations.

Council members discussed the trade-offs between shorter and longer bond terms: a 20-year bond produces a higher annual levy but lower total cost over the life of the bond; a 30-year term lowers the annual levy but increases total interest costs. Examples shown to council used an assessed value of $254,000 to estimate monthly and annual levy impacts under different term lengths.

Councilor Falconer argued the 20-year option strikes a responsible fiscal balance and said voters expect the council to make a sound financial choice. Several other councilors nodded in agreement and the chair signaled the group’s consensus in favor of the 20-year term.

Staff outlined an outreach plan that begins this summer with farmers-market events, facility tours, community open houses and mailers, and transitions to informational and neutral messaging in August and September ahead of a September mailer and November election. Councilors asked staff to coordinate councillor participation in outreach events and to consider using National Night Out and other large events to bring voters to the existing station for tours.

Next steps: staff will draft the ballot title and language reflecting the 20-year term for the council to review at an upcoming work session, and will continue the planned summer public-education campaign.

(Reporting based on presentation and discussion at the Forest Grove City Council work session, June 8, 2026.)