Budget For LO Approved by City Council

To All COLA LO Members,

This week the city council approved the recommended budget in a 5-1 council vote.     THe budget exceeds $422 million for fiscal year 2013-2014.     It includes over $100 million for the largest capital project in LO history,  the LO-Tigard Water Project.

The Citizens Budget Committee (CBC)   reviewed the city managers proposed budget and made many modifications to it in recommending a budget to the city council.    

Several articles on the details of the budget have been presented in the media.    They include an Oregonian article:   Council Cuts Staff Positions.    Many of the articles focus on staff reductions in an attempt to "spin"   the decisions in the budget rather than address the direction of the budget and the issues behind it.  

In another article Council Adopts Budget  the LO review presents a clear picture of the issues and also broader support for the budget process.  

In general the budget process this year was revised to allow for greater citizen input and to focus on the key issues facing the community.    The city provided for online input of citizens prior to each budget meeting and many citizens testified during the sessions.  

Overall there was broad level support for the process across the entire community and the city council. 

The new process was supported as more inclusive of all the stakeholders in the community with a variety of views being discussed by the committee.    Many believe this is what produced a council vote that approved the CBC recommended budget without changes for the first time in four years.  

Please notify all members, contacts, and friends.