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West Linn makes financial strategic planning its top priority; staff lays out four‑phase public engagement
Summary
City staff proposed making financial strategic planning the council's top priority for 2026–2028 and unveiled a four‑phase "Framing Our Future" public engagement roadmap that starts with listening, then clarifies costs and funding, checks back with residents, and culminates in council decisions and a published plan.
Councilors at a West Linn retreat on Friday moved to prioritize a citywide financial strategic plan and heard staff outline a four‑phase public engagement process intended to guide difficult budget choices over the next 18 months.
City management framed the work as council‑led. The city manager told the group staff’s recommendation was that “this financial strategic planning is perhaps the biggest thing that you wanna spend time on this year,” and staff placed the item at the top of a draft 2026–2028 priorities list. Staff asked council to give direction on wording, sequencing and emphasis so the final document could be returned to a future business meeting for formal adoption.
Staff described a four‑phase roadmap for the public process. Alyssa, the staff lead for phase 1, said the initial month is about listening: “This phase 1 is really about what we’ve heard from the council is wanting to start with listening,” and recommended plain‑language materials so residents understand what city services exist before weighing trade‑offs. Chief Otis Rollins summarized phase 2 as the moment to connect community priorities to costs and funding: “What does the community want? … What is that gonna cost? … And how do we pay for it?”
Staff emphasized the plan is iterative, not a predetermination of outcomes. Phase 3 would reflect findings back to residents for verification, and phase 4 would present council with prioritized, costed options and recommend next steps. Staff also noted the practical calendar constraint: if council wanted the option to refer a funding measure to a November ballot, decisions would need to be timed for an August deadline.
Councilors broadly welcomed the approach but pressed staff for clarity on timing, how to measure representative engagement, and the educational materials that will precede open‑ended outreach. Staff asked for a one‑week review of a draft web hub and materials before public launch and offered one‑on‑one follow‑ups with council members.
The next steps are procedural: staff will revise the draft priorities and public‑engagement materials per council input, circulate the web hub draft for a short review window, and return with a recommended adoption timeline and public launch plan. The city will also track outreach coverage to identify demographic or neighborhood gaps during the listening phase.
