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West Linn workshop narrows funding priorities; staff asked to draft strategic plan
Summary
City council and staff ran a prioritization exercise and discussed fees, levies and bonds to stabilize services, add staff and fund capital projects; staff were directed to draft a sequenced financial plan and engagement strategy for community review.
City of West Linn councilors, staff and facilitators met in a workshop to prioritize near‑term funding needs and discuss options for stabilizing services and advancing capital projects.
The session, led by the facilitator, produced three broad priority categories: maintain and stabilize existing services, add or retain key staff positions, and invest in land, facilities and infrastructure. The group used a dot-exercise to surface top items and heard examples from other jurisdictions about successful tactics for asking voters for money.
"The results of this would translate into some polling," the moderator said, framing the next steps as a mix of staff analysis and community outreach. Councilors and staff emphasized that any voter ask should be narrowly focused and accompanied by clear messaging about what residents will receive.
Staff were asked to return with a draft strategic financial plan that lists priorities, estimated costs, recommended sequencing and possible funding sources. That plan is intended to inform tailored community engagement — from simple two-question surveys to open houses and more detailed polling — before any levy or bond is placed on the ballot.
