milwaukie in budget bind - years of progressive pursuits?

The City of Milwaukie is running out of its budget reserves and is considering sharply increasing property tax bills - maybe by $500 or more per year, starting in November 2026.

A significant problem is that the City of Milwaukie spent over $1 million to date pursuing a zealous climate goal - Milwaukie City Council thinking it can change the temperature of the earth. The City Council knowing that it is facing huge budget deficits within the next three years, went ahead anyways this summer and hired a Climate Czar to try social engineering the lives of Milwaukie residents. A climate czar probably will cost the City $200,000 or more per year in employee costs and associated materials/contracts.

The bigger problem is that the City of Milwaukie is growing its personnel costs by over 5% per year, in an economy that is targeted for only 2% inflation.

A 5% per year increase in employee costs is unsustainable. Even if Milwaukie increases its city property tax rates to the max ($500 and more per year for the average homeowner), it still will leave the City short of meeting a 5% increase in personnel costs per year by the end of this decade.

Milwaukie's Urban Renewal District is also bleeding increasing amounts from the City's General Fund reserves and basic services like police.

My written testimony to Milwaukie City Council about this budget dilemma can be read in the PDF download just below here, "CouncilTest24Sep3."

(posted by Elvis Clark on August 29, 2024)

CouncilTest24Sep3 (pdf)

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Milwaukie City Council to choose City Manager soon

Milwaukie Council interviewed four candidates for the Job of Milwaukie City Manager

Emma Sagor is Milwaukie's acting City Manager currently (photo to the right).

Sagor is one of four candidates the Milwaukie City Council is considering for permanently filling the Milwaukie City Manager job. Sagor before becoming Milwaukie's interim city manager - and just prior as City Assistant Manager - worked as a manager at the City of Portland's transportation bureau and prior to this is a "Climate Advisor."

Bob Harrison is also interviewed for the City Manager job. Harrison is a former City manager for the city of Yakima Washington and also at some point a Chief Administrator Officer for the City of Renton, Washington.

Kenny Asher is a third candidate for City Manager also interviewed. Asher works for the City of Tigard for the last 11 years as Community Development Director. Asher actually is Milwaukie's Public Works Director before going to work for Tigard.

Lastly, Ari Wagner is the fourth candidate interviewed. Wagner is currently the Chief Operating Officer for Behavioral Health, Incorporated. Wagner has a social worker background.

I don't know if I have a favorite among these four candidates for Milwaukie City Manager. None of them look like efficiency experts but probably support continued government expansion.

(posted by Elvis Clark on August 14, 2024)

Milwaukie's Budget Committee meets next Saturday (4/27/24)

The Mayor of Milwaukie, in a newspaper article several weeks back, has discussed that Milwaukie may have to cut basic services in order to not spend more than the City's budgeted revenues; or alternatively the City Council might raise taxes and fees to increase revenues. Basic city services include roads, police, library, and water and sewer utility services.

The perceived need to increase fee and/or tax revenues or, alternatively, to make budget cuts; is said to take place not in the next two-year budget period, but rather starting three years from now.

The only fee increases seriously being considered by council for this coming Saturday's Budget Committee Meeting are to raise the licensing fees for Northwest Natural [gas company], PGE, and Comcast for their ability to operate their utility franchises in the City of Milwaukie.

The irritating thing to me is that Milwaukie's City Council seems dead set on funding a high paid climate change director, to effectively push paper about City efforts [no matter how futile] to help change the temperature of the earth - this rather than spending scarce public dollars on, say, speeding development of a higher quality, safer multi-modal city road system (which is something that has certain and tangible benefit, and many U.S cities regard as of highest basic service priority).

Climate Change (changing the temperature of the earth) is not a basic service of city governments; and if a city is coming up short on its revenues, it should not cut basic services in order to throw the public's money at intractable global problems, such as "climate change.'

Please read my testimony ("CouncilTest24Apr2" in pdf format just below here) to Milwaukie Council asking the Council to conserve its budget revenues for spending on basic services, and to not waste them instead on the intractable problem of global climate change.

(posted by Elvis Clark on April 20, 2024)

CouncilTest24Apr2 (pdf)

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Milwaukie City staff recommend 1% increase in water bills

If Milwaukie Council approves staff's recommendation, the 1 % increase would begin July 1, 2024

The above Milwaukie water bill shows, line by line, the Staff's proposed rates and changes (Red) that would take effect on July 1st of this year (2024). Staff propose increasing the water consumption rate by 5.1% or so. The water use Base Rate is set to increase 3%.

But there is no proposed increase in the sewer consumption charge of $3.99 per CCHF (hundred cubic feet). (the sewer consumption charge is calculated on a residence's November through February water consumption, averaged monthly.) The Sewer City Base Rate is proposed to decrease by 62 cents per month.

Staff propose no change in the Storm Water charge. But staff propose increasing both the street maintenance (Street Charges) and SAFE (sidewalk charges) by 5.6%.

Taking all these utility water bill changes into account, Milwaukie's water bills would increase only 1% in total for this upcoming year beginning July 1, 2024, versus last year's water bill total. (In the photo of a typical Milwaukie home water bill, the total monthly water bill would increase from $139.62 to $141.06 in the upcoming fiscal year (July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025).

Milwaukie, up until these proposed water bill changes, had some of the highest cost water rates among Its surrounding cities. But with the very slight increase proposed for city water bills for the upcoming fiscal year, Milwaukie's water bill rates are actually now comparable to the average of surrounding City water bill rates - rather than it being historically highest among surrounding cities.

(posted by Elvis Clark on April 3, 2024)

Head's Up milwaukie Council invites speaker against GAs?

Below here is the first part of Milwaukie Council's meeting agenda for this coming Jan 2, 2024

After I tell City Council back on December 19, 2023, that they are potentially causing much higher energy bills for the residents of Milwaukie by denying natural gas utility service, now Council is having some speaker come in from Lewis and Clark College to talk about natural gas policy and rates - this Tuesday evening. I intend to listen to this next week and report back what I hear. Stay informed. It could cost you if you don't and don't speak up.

In the name of Net Zero carbon emissions, we are going to pay $24 per month more on average for electricity starting this January 2024. Here's the link to OPB's reporting on this hike in our cost of living:

Portland General Electric hikes residential rates by record 18% - OPB

Does the Milwaukie City Council ever invite the natural gas company or Oregon Public Utility Commission come talk to them. Not very often, if at all.

(posted by Elvis Clark on December 28, 2023)

Milwaukie Council Climate Session - no mention of gas ban

The Milwaukie Council and staff discussed the City's Climate Action Plan this past Tuesday- 12/12/23

The thing that stands out about this city meeting on Milwaukie's Climate Action Plan is that no one mentions the Milwaukie City Council Resolution to ban new natural gas utility service hookups in the City, nor the ultimate goal of eliminating natural gas home heating in the City. I am left wondering whether maybe if the City is not stepping back from its actual bans against natural gas utility service in the City. I plan to testify before Milwaukie Council this coming Tuesday asking that the Council adopt a less forceful policy that eliminates people's choice of fuels - for instance, asking that the City Council withdraw its Resolution to ban new natural gas utility service hookups.

(posted by Elvis Clark on December 16, 2023)

Milwaukie councilor plots against natural gas utilities

Councilor Stavenjord wants to pressure Clackamas County to call natural gas a health hazard

The Milwaukie City council continues to scheme on how to ban natural gas utility service in the City of Milwaukie, as I witness at its November 9th (2023) work session. A Federal Court ruled earlier this year that cities could not ban natural gas, as Milwaukie resolved last December 2022 to do.

But dadgummit, banning natural gas in the City of Milwaukie is still part of Milwaukie's Climate Action Plan. And all of Milwaukie's Councilors, Mayor, and staff are climate change plan robotic-like warriors; and so, they continue scheming other ways to deny City residents fuel choice that includes natural gas.

I hear in the November 9th, 2023, work session Milwaukie Councilor Stavenjord (photo to the right here) talk about trying to get the Clackamas County public health department to help Milwaukie regulate against natural gas stoves and other appliances (including probably gas furnaces).

Those who want to deny people the choice of fuel for heating and/or cooking, point to their favorite studies that try to make the case that cooking with natural gas causes substantial indoor and outdoor air pollution and health problems. But other studies suggest that natural gas stoves are not causing health problems, like asthma.

I find that a lot of the new gas stove installations are actually often chosen by upper income people who are more than capable of making intelligent choices. So, the public health argument in favor of banning gas stoves is largely a false argument, in my book.

Because of Stavenjord's ruse to get gas called a public health risk, I am now planning to testify before the Clackamas County Commission alerting them to Stavenjord's backdoor way of restricting natural gas in Milwaukie, by having the Clackamas County public health authority declare natural gas a health risk. Stay tuned.

(posted by Elvis Clark on November 17, 2023)

Milwaukie's City Government wants higher property taxes

Former Milwaukie Mayor Gamba insisted on documenting a "gap" between property taxes and expenses

Gamba bemoaned that Milwaukie property taxpayers are not taxed at the market value of their property

This coming Monday evening the City of Milwaukie's Budget Committee is scheduled to meet. As part of this meeting, the Budget Committee is provided a Quarterly Financial Report by the City Finance Director, Toby LaFrance.

The above chart introduces this Quarterly Financial Report. The Chart was created to appease former Mayor Gamba who complained, in effect, that the residents of Milwaukie do not pay enough in Property taxes. The Yellow Bars (that exceed the dark colored bars) are the City's General Fund Operating Costs in total. While the dark color bars represent the City's property tax proceeds.

But I intend to question the fairness of this chart at this Monday evening's Budget Committee meeting. First off, in the latest year (FY23), the cost of operating the City's Library (the Ledding Library) is included in the Yellow Bar, which represents total City General Fund operating costs. However, the property taxes collected by the Clackamas Library District (which fund the bulk of the Ledding Library's operating costs) are not included in the dark colored bar. Instead, the property taxes collected by the Clackamas Library District are counted as an Intergovernmental Transfer (excluded from the Budget chart above here).

This alone adds $2 million dollar to this year's reported gap between City Operating Costs and Property taxes collected.

Secondarily, the City Council in the year 2016 under the leadership of then Mayor Gamba approved creating an Urban Renewal District largely for downtown Milwaukie. This Urban Renewal District diverts property taxes into a City slush fund of sorts, thereby reducing the City's property tax collections available for meeting General Fund Operating Costs.

This raises the question: if the City Council felt ok with reducing property tax collections for the General Fund (what with its creation of an urban renewal district), how can it also subsequently demand higher property taxes.

For more on the negative impact of Milwaukie's Urban Renewal District, click 'City Gov News' and then click 'MIlwaukie Urban Renewal.'

Gamba bemoaned that Milwaukie property taxpayers are not taxed at the market value of their property

If Gamba had his way, property tax limit laws would be repealed, and property taxes would be effectively doubled.

Oregon Constitutional Measures 5 and 50 limit property taxes such that without them, property tax bills would be double current levels. Without Measures 5 and 50, property taxes would be based on the yellow line in the Chart above here (in other words, the market value of a home or other real property); and not the lower, darker colored line representing the tax assessed value of a home or other real property.

(posted by Elvis Clark on November 9, 2023)

Planners, anti-car people dominate Milwaukie Transport.Plan

Even in a Bicycle City town like Portland, cars are still very much how folks get around

Mayor Batey supports dropping neighborhood speed limits down to 20 mph, just like Portland.

The above table is from the Portland Bureau of Transportation, as reported by BikePortland organization. What it shows is that the percentage of people bicycling has been flat for over ten years now in Portland, despite Portland's addition of bicycle infrastructure.

People commuting by car (either alone or in carpool) is still about two thirds of all commuting trips when including working at home (pre Covid-19 data or pre year 2020. If you exclude remote working as a form of commuting, then Auto commuting in the Covid year of 2021 is equal to 80% of all physical commuting trips. (46.8 plus 6.2, this sum divided by (1 minus 34.9%).)

Mayor Batey supports dropping neighborhood speed limits down to 20 mph, just like Portland.

Milwaukie launched its Transportation Committee to update Milwaukie's Transportation System Plan, on October 19, 2023. Milwaukie Mayor Batey (photo above) spoke to this committee, and revealed that she supports dropping the speed limit for neighborhood streets down to 20 mph, from the current 25 mph.

But what is most sad, in my books, is that the transportation committee is made up of people who are mostly wanting to make it more difficult for other people to drive cars. I come to this impression after hearing each of this committee's members mostly talk of their enthusiasm for bicycles and transit.

But there needs to be people on this committee who are more representative of the broader community of Milwaukie. Seniors, for instance, for whom bicycling, walking and standing around for a bus; Or having to ride an unsafe Orange Max train; are not really options. Most folks as the data in the table to the left above demonstrates, commute and get around by car.

(posted by Elvis Clark on October 20, 2023)

Judge blocks Milwaukie Council from taking back city parks

Milwaukie City council has been wanting Milwaukie government to take over management of Milwaukie's parks from North Clackamas Parks and Recreation (NCPR) ever since last Fall of 2022. The key to doing this is getting Clackamas County government to shift Milwaukie's share of the County parks property tax levy to the city of Milwaukie.

The Clackamas Board of County Commissioners refuses to let Milwaukie takes its share of the property tax levy.

Milwaukie subsequently sued to effect the transfer of parks management and funding back to Milwaukie, but the Judge in this case says it is not legal to do so without approval from the Clackamas Board of County Commissioners who oversee NCPR and a vote of approval by voters in the NCPR District.

Here's the bottom line per Clackamas Review newspaper reporting: "According to county officials and Circuit Judge Jeffrey S. Jones, the NCPRD Board of Directors (comprised of county commissioners) must agree to allow Milwaukie to withdraw and refer the question to voters districtwide."

The plan to improve Milwaukie Bay Park has been delayed indefinitely until if and when the management and funding of Milwaukie's parks is resolved to Milwaukie's favor.

Below is Clackamas Review's reporting on the judge blocking Milwaukie from taking control of its City parks from North Clackamas Parks and Recreation "NoWithdrw23Jul".

(posted by Elvis Clark on July 20, 2023)

NoWithdrw23Jul (pdf)

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9th Federal Circuit rules against City natural gas bans

So, we can keep our natural gas so far. Also, Water Bill Fee for Climate remains delayed (I think)

This Tuesday Evening (6/20/23), Milwaukie City Council discusses its climate action plan which a year ago was being used to justify proposals to impose a new Milwaukie water bill fee and a City-wide ban on natural gas cooking and natural gas home heating.

I plan to review this discussion to hear if there is any new push to impose this climate fund fee on City water utility bills.

The Ninth Circuit Court (Federal Appeals Court) ruled that City Natural gas bans are not permitted because such regulation is the principal jurisdiction of the federal government. We are not out of the clear though in being able to keep our natural gas space heating and cooking. The Biden administration is trying to restrict natural gas heating and cooking equipment. So, more lawsuits likely to come.

(posted by Elvis Clark on June 20, 2023)

Milwaukie Mayor wants Parks Property Tax hike

Sounds like Mayor Batey wants Clackamas Parks District to increase its Parks Levy for Milwaukie

The clip on the right here from the Clackamas Review newspaper is interesting because it could mean that Milwaukie doesn't want to take back its parks from North Clackamas Parks District, after saying it wanted to do so.

Now it seems Milwaukie wants North Clackamas Parks District to ask its voters for an increase in its property tax, and if voters approve such an increase; Milwaukie would want this increase in property taxes fund Milwaukie's Parks - such as Milwaukie Bay Park.

What is also interesting is that I think North Clackamas Parks voters are more likely to reject a Parks tax increase than Milwaukie voters. So, this seeming move has a good chance of only delaying Milwaukie's achieving improvements in its parks.

On the flip side, this would be good for Milwaukie tax payers as there is a higher chance that there is no property tax increase - with it going through the larger North Clackamas Parks District than the smaller more woke City of Milwaukie.

(posted by Elvis Clark on March 24, 2023)

Milwaukie plan to take-back parks would hike property taxes!

Milwaukie home owners would pay $100/year in prop. taxes on average

Milwaukie needs a lot more property taxes to run the Milwaukie Center

Currently, North Clackamas Parks District manages Milwaukie's city parks. Clackamas Parks charges the average home owner in Milwaukie about $135 per year, or a levy of 54 cents per $1,000 in tax assessed home value.

Up until this week, Milwaukie City staff and City Council thought if Milwaukie took back the management of its parks from Clackamas Parks that the parks property tax would simply remain the same. But this week it is discovered that it would cost the City of Milwaukie 85% more to manage the City's Parks than it is cost Clackamas Parks District currently.

So, Milwaukie City council has pulled back its take over of City Parks and a proposed May 2023 property tax levy renewal.

Milwaukie needs a lot more property taxes to run the Milwaukie Center

The main reason it would be costly for the City of Milwaukie to take back the management of its parks from North Clackamas Parks District is the Milwaukie Community Center and surrounding Park.

Clackamas Parks is subsidizing the large senior meals program provided by the Milwaukie Community Center and the maintenance of the surrounding park - by the tune of $1 million per year.

(posted by Elvis Clark on February 17, 2023)

Milwaukie city Council bans gas heating choice for new homes

Milwaukie Council resolves to eliminate natural gas heating choice for new residences by Spring 2024

The Council vote is split 3 to 2 in favor of taking away people's choice of what is only one of two established ways of heating one's home these days - that being natural gas. For new homes/residences, people are made to be totally dependent for all of their home energy needs on PGE - Milwaukie's local electric utility monopoly.

But Milwaukie Council and City staff are also eyeing taking away fuel choice for existing homes/residences, banning the use of natural gas for home use by the year 2035. PGE must be licking its chops at Milwaukie Council's elimination of its only primary competitor in Milwaukie - that being, natural gas for home heating.

Councilors Batey and Khosrobadi and Mayor Gamba are the yes votes for eliminating fuel choice and competition (3) - while Councilors Hyzy and Nicodemus vote no (2).

Councilor Khosrobadi I have heard might be open to a dual fuel option using electric heat pumps with natural gas furnace back-up. But I wouldn't hold your breath on this emergency back-up option. Khosrobadi sounds tentative on this idea.

You probably will see more polluted neighborhood air sheds now as people go towards burning more wood in wood stoves, so as to manage/reduce their electric utility bills.

And while other states/nations at the vanguard of a more renewable electricity system ... experience increasing blackouts; Oregon is at increasing risk of duplicating these same states and nations black out experiences with electricity blackouts of its own - according to none other than the Northwest Power and Conservation Council - no doubt because of Oregon's push to eliminate around-the-clock natural gas and coal fired power supplies while increasingly relying on intermittent renewable electricity supplies from solar and wind (and these renewable forms of energy are not so environmentally benign as they are touted -as renewables largely represent, in reality, just the exporting of pollution to developing countries and often exploiting these same countries; what with the need for new mines and heavy diesel mining equipment creating pollution in these developing countries).

Oregon voters have voted for Authoritarian government, and now we all will bear its excessive costs and loss of individual freedom - as this government action is but another example of Authoritarianism.

(posted by Elvis Clark on December 9, 2022)

Milwaukie ponders its own renewable electricity via pge

Milwaukie would contract with PGE, local electricity monopoly, for 100% renewable electricity supply

PGE already offers its customers, including Milwaukie's residential customers, a carbon "free" (Clean) electricity supply. The brochure from PGE to the right here (photo to the right here) indicates to me that carbon "free" (Clean) electricity costs between 5% and 10% more than the conventional, traditional PGE electricity supply.

Milwaukie City staff are proposing a different Carbon "Free" electricity supply than PGE's Clean Electricity supply. Milwaukie's proposed electricity supply would be based on a share of a renewable-only electricity generating system. Milwaukie's Climate Action Plan calls for all electricity supplied to Milwaukie residents and others to be 100% carbon emission free by the year 2030.

I got to tell you, having worked in the Electric Utility Industry for almost 30 years; to me, Milwaukie's Net Zero goal is most probably unrealistic. I can't tell you why I believe this, here today, because I am saving my reasons for the Milwaukie candidate debate on October 19, 2022.

Milwaukie City Council will discuss this proposed all-renewable electricity supply this Tuesday evening in a special study session (10/8/22). For now, and this is a good thing, PGE customers would be able to opt out of the "Clean/Renewable-only electricity supply." Hope it stays voluntary. It becomes less objectionable then.

(posted by Elvis Clark on October 8, 2022)

Kate Brown takes over community decisionmaking (parking now)

The Above Governor Executive order bars Milwaukie from being able to require off-street parking

First, the autocrats of one party over-ride community land use decisions requiring cities like Milwaukie to cram more and more tiny homes into their spacious single family neighborhoods. Now, Kate Brown issues this new Administrative order (Oregon Administrative Rule 660-012-440) which requires communities to let new houses to be built with no parking of their own - leaning on our public streets for the parking for these new houses.

And this is part of what is called the state's "Climate Friendly Equitable Communities Rulemaking" policies. There is nothing friendly about these policies. Oregonians are under assault from those leading the state and many of our Cities, like Milwaukie, as these autocrats eliminate choice and local community decision.

(posted by Elvis Clark on September 14, 2022)

6 Story, 53 Apartment unit building proposed-on Washinton st

It will have no on-site parking spaces and relies partly on government housing subsidies

The developer of this 6 story building is seeking a height variance and a variance for no on-site parking from the City of Milwaukie.

Supposedly the developer has reserved 43 parking spaces for its tenants in other parts of down town. half of them are at the Odd Fellows building in north downtown on Main Street. Tenants will pay a monthly fee for their parking spaces.

But one really has to wonder if the tenants will end up instead just parking their cars on the street in the surrounding neighborhoods just to the east of this new apartment building, and avoid the monthly parking fees.

NO on-site parking? Such is the idealized, unrealistic world of our professional planners.

(posted by Elvis Clark on January, 24, 2022)

Milwaukie City Council hears the Metro funded study results for incorporating the Oak Grove and Jennings Lodge area - and incorporating is not likely

The biggest take away from the Milwaukie City Council discussion about the annexing and or making of the Oak Grove and Jennings Lodge area into its own City...is that Milwaukie itself can only annex that area within its Urban Growth Management area (which I shade in the map of the Oak Lodge area to the right here.)

Moreover, while most of the Milwaukie City Councilors support the Oak Lodge area inc

Central Milwaukie Income and commuting data (as of 2018)

Nearly 40% of Central Milwaukie households make less than $50,000 per year. The City wide average for Milwaukie at large is about $64,000 per year. There are a few households who make more than $150,000 per year (8% of households in Central Milwaukie). Ideally, it is said that no more than 30% of one's household income should go to housing. If you make Milwaukie's city wide median of $64,000

This U.S Census data seems to be somewhat off I suspect. For example, I am not sure the Driving component is an accurate representation of the role of automobiles in commuting. Missing is carpool data, which in a Clackamas County survey is a higher share of commutes than even public transit. So, I believe automobiles are a bigger part of commuting than the driving data used by City staff here