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Rising police and fire costs blamed for Westfir budget strain; Oakridge IGAs noted
Summary
Budget staff told the committee that increasing police and fire costs are the largest contributors to the city’s $39,000 shortfall. Councilors noted the Oakridge police and fire intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) include a roughly 3% increase previously approved by Oakridge.
Budget Officer Nicole Tritten told the committee that "the biggest contributor to the deficit was the increasing cost of police and fire services over the past few years." Committee members pressed staff for details about how the Oakridge IGAs treat equipment and personnel costs; Tritten confirmed the City-owned fire truck is valued as part of the contract and noted Oakridge had approved the IGAs with a 3% increase.
Councilors discussed whether alternative public-safety arrangements — including the anonymous email suggestion to replace the IGA with private security — were practical. The committee concluded the Oakridge police and fire IGA remained the most feasible option for Westfir and asked staff to continue pursuing the SRS exchange and other budget fixes.
