Canby URA approves $1.2 million final budget; agency to return remaining funds when work finishes

Kim Wigand, chair of the Urban Renewal Agency budget committee, presided as the committee moved to approve a final URA budget and to settle leadership for the coming year.

Interim URA director Randy Ealy presented the agency—s short budget message, saying the proposed fiscal year 2027 URA budget is "amount of $1,200,000" to finish the 1st Street project and that "if there is any remaining funds after we bid that project, those funds will be sent back to Clackamas County," to be distributed to junior taxing districts.

The committee nominated and retained Kim Wigand as URA budget chair and elected Melody Thompson as vice chair. Vice chair Thompson moved to approve the URA budget and committee member Sean Barwick seconded; the motion carried by voice vote.

Why it matters: Canby—s URA is concluding longtime redevelopment work in the downtown/1st Street area; approving a final budget and establishing a plan to return unspent funds are the last administrative steps required before the agency can be formally closed. That closure will shift property-tax increment revenues back to the taxing districts that previously shared those revenues.

What the motion did and did not do: The committee approved funding to complete the 1st Street project and enacted the administrative direction to return surplus URA funds no later than June 30, 2027. The committee did not adopt additional projects or extend the URA timeline beyond the stated close-out plan.

Next steps: Staff will proceed with bidding and contracting for the 1st Street work. Any remaining, unspent URA dollars will be remitted to Clackamas County for distribution to junior taxing districts as described in the budget summary.

(Reporting note: quotes and attributions are drawn from the May 14, 2026 committee transcript; vote was conducted by voice and recorded as carried.)