Mosier reports stronger year-end finances and adopts new collections process for planning fees

The Mosier City Council on Sept. 3 reviewed an unaudited 2024–25 year-end financial report that Finance Director Monica Morris said shows the city’s finances are "as expected and significantly stronger" compared with the prior year. Morris outlined revenues and expenditures across the general, water, sewer and streets funds and said some funds face timing pressures related to project costs and debt payments.

Morris described a new cost-recovery approach for planning applications that will move to monthly billing and, for non-utility charges, will employ a collections firm, Credits Inc, which the city will use to pursue past-due balances and assess a $35 collection fee. She told the council roughly $50,000 in planning-related fees remain outstanding, including about $9,000 that is past due from March and April and about $10,000 due in September.

Mayor Witt Anderson and Special Projects Coordinator Colleen Coleman asked staff to monitor cash flow and to expedite reimbursements where possible; Coleman was credited for timely submissions of reimbursements. Morris said the city anticipates the fiscal year 2020 audit in October or November and is continuing work on the 2021 audit. The council did not alter the underlying budget at the meeting but asked staff to return with final figures after the audits are complete.

Action items assigned at the meeting direct Finance Director Monica Morris to finalize the year-end report after audit completion and to send delinquent planning application invoices to Credits Inc, and direct staff to continue monitoring cash flow for USDA and Streets Fund projects.

The council approved the Aug. 8 minutes at the start of the meeting. The council will revisit the audited figures once the outstanding audits are complete.