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City Council Packet - 02/21/2017 114 City of Tigard Tigard Workshop Meeting—Agenda TIGARD TIGARD CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE AND TIME: February 21,2017 - 6:30 p.m. MEETING LOCATION: City of Tigard-Town Hall- 13125 SW Hall Blvd.,Tigard, OR 97223 PUBLIC NOTICE: Times noted are estimated. Assistive Listening Devices are available for persons with impaired hearing and should be scheduled for Council meetings by noon on the Monday prior to the Council meeting. Please call 503-718-2419 (voice) or 503-684-2772 (IDD -Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf). Upon request, the City will also endeavor to arrange for the following services: • Qualified sign language interpreters for persons with speech or hearing impairments; and • Qualified bilingual interpreters. Since these services must be scheduled with outside service providers,it is important to allow as much lead time as possible. Please notify the City of your need by 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the meeting by calling: 503-639-4171,ext. 2410 (voice) or 503-684-2772 (TDD -Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf). VIEW LIVE VIDEO STR1AMING ONLINE: http://live.ti2ard-or.gov Workshop meetings are cablecast on Tualatin Valley Community TV as follows: Replay Schedule for Tigard City Council Workshop Meetings-Channel 28 •Every Sunday at 12 a.m. •Every Monday at 1 p.m. •Every Thursday at 12 p.m. •Every Friday at 10:30 a.m. SEE ATTACHED AGENDA :114 " City of Tigard TfG - Tigard Workshop Meeting—Agenda TIGARD CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE AND TIME: February 21,2017 - 6:30 p.m. MEETING LOCATION: City of Tigard-Town Hall- 13125 SW Hall Blvd.,Tigard,OR 97223 6:30 PM 1. WORKSHOP MEETING A. Call to Order-City Council B. Roll Call C. Pledge of Allegiance D. Call to Council and Staff for Non-Agenda Items 2. 2017 ANNUAL COURT REPORT 6:30 p.m.estimated time 3. SECOND QUARTER BUDGET COMMI'TEE MEETING WITH CITY COUNCIL 6:50 p.m. estimated time 4. RECEIVE A REPORT ON THE BEGINNING OF PUBLIC OUTREACH FOR POTENTIAL BALLOT MEASURES 7:20 p.m. estimated time 5. EXTERNAL FINANCIAL AUDIT&CAFR PRESENTATION WITH MOSS ADAMS 7:50 p.m. estimated time 6. TIGARD TRIANGLE LEAN CODE UPDATE 8:20 p.m. estimated time 7. NON AGENDA ITEMS 8. EXECUTIVE SESSION: The Tigard City Council may go into Executive Session. If an Executive Session is called to order,the appropriate ORS citation will be announced identifying the applicable statute. All discussions are confidential and those present may disclose nothing from the Session. Representatives of the news media are allowed to attend Executive Sessions,as provided by ORS 192.660(4),but must not disclose any information discussed. No Executive Session may be held for the purpose of taking any final action or making any final decision. Executive Sessions are closed to the public. 9. ADJOURNMENT 9:20 p.m. estimated time AIS-2907 2. Workshop Meeting Meeting Date: 02/21/2017 Length (in minutes): 20 Minutes Agenda Title: 2017 Annual Court Report Prepared For: Nadine Robinson Submitted By: Anna Mae Gliebe, Central Services Item Type: Update, Discussion, Direct Meeting Type: Council Staff Workshop Mtg. Public Hearing No Newspaper Legal Ad Required?: Public Hearing Publication Date in Newspaper: Information ISSUE Judge O'Brien and Anna Mae Gliebe, Court Operations Supervisor will provide an annual update on the status of the municipal court's programs and caseload. STAFF RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUEST N/A KEY FACTS AND INFORMATION SUMMARY The large majority of the court's caseload in 2016 consisted of minor traffic violations. In order to provide greater public access to court services and reduce staff workloads, the court has increasingly utilized electronic resources such as email and online payments. Online payments increased by 25% during 2016, and the court's homepage now offers a Spanish translation. Many court documents are also available in Spanish. As in past years, the court continues to disseminate verbal, written and electronic information to customers, attorneys and the public in order to enhance efficiency, reduce recidivism and promote traffic calming on city streets. The judges "Rules of the Road" column continues to appear monthly in the Cityscape newsletter. The court completed its first full year in the implementation of the expanded diversion programs authorized by Council in 2015. The program has been popular with the public and largely met expectations. A total of 1,314 drivers (about 23% of total caseload) took part in diversion during 2016, with an overall compliance rate of about 85%. Successful completion of the program results in dismissal of the citation,with no entry on DMV's driving record. About 11% of all diversion referrals went to Tigard's Distracted Driver Diversion Program, designed for defendants cited for Mobile-phone violations. The court's caseload in 2016 consisted of 5,629 violation, a 6% reduction from the previous year, continuing a trend that began after a record high in 2012. About 81% of all defendants plead "no contest" online, by mail or in person at court. As in past years, three types of offenses dominated the caseload: Speeding, Failure to obey trafficcontrol devices and Mobile-phone violations. Citations for license violations also continue at a high level. The court initiated the process,pending council review, of recruiting two pro-tern judges to provide judicial services when the judge is not available. The court also welcomed Rebecca Winchell, an experienced municipal-court clerk, to the staff. The judge and staff attended various educational conferences sponsored by professional associations. Finally, the court contracted for the services of a new collection agency, Professional Credit Services. As in past years, the court will closely monitor developments in the current legislative session. OTHER ALTERNATIVES N/A COUNCIL OR CCDA GOALS, POLICIES, MASTER PLANS N/A DATES OF PREVIOUS CONSIDERATION February 16, 2016. Attachments Annual Report Presentation 11111 " City of Tigard TIGARD Memorandum To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Michael J. O'Brien,Presiding Judge Anna Mae Gliebe,Court Operations Supervisor Re: 18th Annual Report from Tigard Municipal Court Date: February 21, 2017 We are pleased to present our 18th annual review of Tigard Municipal Court operations to Council and the City Manager. 1. Highlights of 2016:The court has actively pursued its goal of maximizing the use of electronic resources in order to reduce staff workloads and efficiently maintain contact with customers. Online payments increased substantially, as did email communications to and from court staff.The court also completed its first full year of implementing the expanded traffic diversion program authorized by Council in August, 2015. The program has met expectations, with high participation rates and an 85%compliance rate in 2016. Caseload declined gradually in CY 2016, continuing a trend that began after a record year in CY 2012. The court also initiated the recruitment process for two vacant pro-tern positions to provide coverage on occasions when the presiding judge is not available. 2. Electronic access to the court and communications with the public: The court gave high priority in 2016 to increasing email communications with defendants,police officers and witnesses. Email has proven to be an efficient and reliable means of receiving and providing information, while reducing staff workloads. Online payments also increased during 2016 (as reflected in Section 7 below). Public education,in and out of the courtroom,remains a high priority in our efforts to promote traffic safety and reduce recidivism.The court's rules and website have recently been updated. A Spanish translation of the home page is now available online in addition to many of the court's documents. "Rules of the Road," the judge's column in Cityscape,has appeared monthly for the last ten years. 3. Traffic Diversion Programs:By resolution in 2015, Council authorized the court to expand its limited traffic diversion programs to include all defendants,with some exceptions,who have maintained clean driving records for the five years1 prior to receipt of their citations. Court Rule 'The eligibility standard for Tigard's DDDP is one year. 6 was amended to reflect Council's intent. Participants in diversion programs must complete all requirements within 90 days, including: 1) Completion of the traffic-safety class to which they are referred by the court;2) Payment of the appropriate fee for the class;3) Payment of a fee to the court equal to half the presumptive fine for each violation;and, 4) Providing proof of compliance within the time allowed. For defendants who complete the program, the citation is dismissed and no record of a conviction is forwarded to Oregon DMV. Failure to comply results in a conviction, fine and entry on the Oregon driving record. A total of 1,314 defendants (about 23% of total caseload) were referred to diversion programs during 2016,resulting in an overall compliance rate of about 85%. Depending on the type of violation,referrals included the following programs: Tigard's Distracted Driver Diversion Program (DDDP),Legacy's High Risk Driver's Class,Legacy's Young Driver Improvement, Court Services Institute's Choices 1 and AARP. About 11% of all diversion referrals went to the DDDP. 4. 2016 Caseload(Table 1): Last year 5,629 traffic,parking, criminal and civil cases were filed with the court, about 6%less than in 2015.As in previous years, the vast majority of those cases involved traffic violations under the Oregon Vehicle Code and Tigard ordinances.The total reflects a continuing decline in caseload since the court's all-time record was established in 2012. Table 1 -Annual Court Caseloads CY 2012-16 2016 5,629 2015 5,990 2014 6,675 2013 7,180 2012 9,105 The court's monthly caseload averaged 469 in 2016,fluctuating from a high of 584 in May to a low of 304 in November. The three most common violations were: Violation types 2016 2015 Speeding 2,510 2,172 Traffic control 678 659 Cellphones 301 806 TOTAL 3,481 3,637 % of caseload 62 61 The 455 citations for driver's license violations constituted 8% of the court's caseload last year. Other common violations included Improper turns, Following too closely,Careless driving and Obstructing intersections.The speeding violations included 4 cases of speeds greater than 100 mph,resulting in substantial statutory fines and mandatory license suspensions. S. Disposition of cases in 2016:About 6% of all defendants entered a"not guilty"plea, resulting in a bench trial. A large majority (81%) elected to plead"no contest"by mail,online or in person at court;the remainder were found in default. Dispositions in 2016 Total Percent Guilty by judge 1,382 25 Guilty by clerk 1,836 32 Guilty by default 746 13 Acquit/dismissed* 1,493 26 Other 215 04 *Includes diversions 6. New legislation: With the legislature currently in session, the Oregon Municipal Judges Association and the Oregon League of Cities will closely monitor proposed measures that could affect municipal courts.As expected, a bill has been introduced that would amend and expand the statute prohibiting the use of hands-on mobile phones in response to a recent decision by the Oregon Court of Appeals. 7. CY 2016 fiscal highlights: • The City entered into a contract with a new collection agency, Professional Credit Services. • Total fines and fees imposed: $966,818, or 6.4%less than in 2015. • Total amount collected including fines and state and county fees: $857,726, or 4.7%less than in 2015. • Total e-payments increased by 25% during 2016: E-Payments 2016 2015 Total$ amounts 235,735 188,786 # of payments 2,214 1,937 Average$payment 106.47 97.46 8. Staff development.- The court began the process of recruiting two pro-tem judges for service when the presiding judge is unavailable. The names of two finalists have been forwarded for Council's consideration. In March,the judge attended the annual ODOT's Judicial Education Conference in Springfield. He also completed his second year on the Board of Directors of the Oregon Municipal Judges'Association and served as a judge for several sessions of the Tigard Peer Court. Court staff attended annual conferences of the Oregon Association for Court Administration. Brenda Annis also went to an advanced training seminar for the FullCourt software program in Washington, D.C.The court recruited Rebecca Winchell,who offered substantial experience as a municipal-court clerk, to fill a recent vacancy. Finally,we wish to acknowledge the hard work and professionalism of Brenda Annis and Rebecca Winchell over the past year.We are very pleased to have an experienced team that is dedicated to the constant enhancement of our services to the people of Tigard and the state of Oregon. We welcome your comments and questions concerning court operations. Y4 T City of - °' Respect and Care I Do the Right Thing I Get it Done Tigard `- >..,w..- L• • 4111 2017 Annual Report to Council Tigard Municipal Court Michael J. O'Brien, Presiding Judge Anna Mae Gliebe, Court Operations Supervisor Presented to: Tigard City Council I ■ February 21, 2017 11(,ARD Cin of Tigard Municipal Court Programs 1 . Traffic 2. Civil infractions 3. Public information Cin of Tigard 2016 Calendar Year Highlights Increased use of electronic resources, including online payments and email. Spanish translation of the court's home page, educational resources, and most commonly used forms. First full year of implementing expanded traffic diversion programs. Recruitment for a court clerk and two pro-tern judge positions. City ofTigard Annual caseloads : CY 2012-16 Annual Court Caseloads CY 2012-16 2016 5,629 2015 5,990 2014 6,675 2013 7,180 2012 9,105 ofTigard Most common violations 2016 Violation types 2016 2015 Speeding 2,510 2,172 Traffic control 678 659 Cellphones 301 806 TOTAL 3,481 3,637 of caseload 62 61 Citi of Tigard Dispositions in CY 2016 Dispositions in 2016 Total Percent Guilty by judge 1,382 25 Guilty by clerk 1,836 32 Guilty by default 746 13 Acquitted/dismissed* 1,493 26 Other 215 4 *Includes diversions Cin of-Tigard Diversion Programs — 2016 ► Expanded in 2015 by Council resolution ► Successful completion = dismissal ► 1,314 participants = about 23% of caseload ► 11% referred to Tigard's DDDP ► 85% compliance rate overall ► Noncompliance: guilty finding, fine, conviction sent to DVN Cin of Tigard Diversion requirements ► Eligibility: no moving violations for 5 years ► DDD Program: 1 -year "lookback" Administrative fee equal to half of fine Pay for and attend approved safety class within 90 days ► Citation then dismissed — no DVN entry Cin ofTigard Safety education programs— 2016 ► Tigard Police Department's Distracted Driver Diversion Program Trauma Nurses Talk Tough (Legacy) ► AARP Smart Driver classes ► Court Services Institute classes ► Young Driver Improvement classes Citc ofTigard Compliance Program ► Equipment violations: $40 administrative fee, then dismissal ► Driving While Suspended / No Operator's License: Reduced if in compliance ► Insurance violations: Dismissed under ORS if valid at stop ► Fines reduced upon proof of compliance City ofTigard Budget — 2016 Contracted with new collection agency E-payments increased by 25% E-Payments 2015 2016 Total $ amounts 188,786 235,735 # of payments 1,937 2,214 Average $ payment 97.46 106.47 Cin of Tigard Public Information Program Information in the courtroom, at the counter and online, including some Spanish translations ► Safety education: diversion, brochures and handouts ► Online court rules for attorneys, general public ► Judge's "Rules of the Road" online since 2007 City ofTigard Other Court Activities Judge attended annual ODOT Judicial Education Conference and served on OMJA Board of Directors ► Court staff attended OACA conferences and training seminar for Full Court software ► Recruitment of an experienced court clerk and two pro-tem judges City of Tigard Tigard Municipal Court 13125 SW Hall Blvd. Tigard, Oregon 97223 Court Clerks: Brenda Annis Rebecca Winchell www. tigard-or.gov/court AIS-2895 3. Workshop Meeting Meeting Date: 02/21/2017 Length (in minutes): 30 Minutes Agenda Title: Second Quarter Budget Committee Meeting with City Council Prepared For: Toby LaFrance, Finance and Information Services Submitted By: Liz Lutz, Finance and Information Services Item Type: Update, Discussion, Direct Staff Meeting Type: Council Workshop Mtg. Public Hearing: No Publication Date: Information ISSUE Staff will provide the Budget Committee/Council with background on the budget process for Fiscal Year 2017-18. STAFF RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUEST Staff will provide information and seek input on the upcoming budget process; no action required. KEY FACTS AND INFORMATION SUMMARY At this meeting, staff and the committee will discuss the following: -Review important dates on the budget calendar for FY 2018. -Review initial forecast for General Fund and resulting budget instructions to departments. -Set Budget Committee expectations for presentation of the Proposed Budget for FY 18. -Confirm committee direction regarding the potential Local Option Levy and Facilities Bond. OTHER ALTERNATIVES N/A COUNCIL GOALS, POLICIES, APPROVED MASTER PLANS The budget supports council goals and the city's Strategic Plan. DATES OF PREVIOUS COUNCIL CONSIDERATION N/A Attachments Budget Instructions Initial General Fund Forecast City of Tigard •Eil Memorandum TIGARD To: City Staff From: Marty Wine,City Manager Re: FY 2018 Budget Guidelines Date: November 7,2016 This memo is prepared as Tigard's annual budget process begins to set the policy tone and context for preparing the city's budget,and provide a preview of what to expect in the upcoming fiscal year. What are the primary factors shaping the FY 2017 Budget? In looking toward this upcoming year's budget there are many factors that are impacting the direction of the city;however,there are three themes that will shape the budget proposal. Setting the Stage for a Local Option Levy For the last several years,Tigard has been faced with the problem that our General Fund revenues grow by about 3.5%per year while our expenses grow by about 4.0%annually. This has forced Tigard to implement small,incremental revenue changes to close the 0.5%gap.We all acknowledge that there are pent up demands for core day-to-day city services. Since FY 2010,departments have been asked to prepare either budget cuts or some version of a"status-quo"budget. With very few exceptions,Tigard has only added services when they are offset by targeted revenue increases or reductions in other services. There have not been opportunities in the budget process to express service demands. With the inability to grow core General Fund services proportionately with growth in the city,service levels have invariably decreased. Last year,the centerpiece of the FY 2017 budget was finding a different funding source for parks through the creation of a Parks and Recreation Charge.The City Council chose to implement a smaller charge than would fund complete parks services. But with the modest funding made available by the creation of this charge,we were able to fund some police services,facility repairs and recreation services. Last year's budget represented a limited opportunity to make some strategic investments in Tigard's day-to-day services. Other guidance we received from the budget committee was that given the city's financial situation, with a low permanent property tax levy rate and the structural issue of costs growing at a rate faster than resources,the city should pursue a local option levy and/or facilities bond with Tigard voters in 2017 or 2018.The decision to seek a local option levy would be made by the City Council after consulting and educating the public through an engagement process that would begin now,to understand what services voters may support in a local option levy. 1 Even if voters were to approve a local option levy in late 2017,proceeds from any measure would not be available in 2018-19. The goal would be for a local option levy to address what city staff understands to be pent-up demand for day-to-day services supported by the General Fund. River Terrace and Development Based on our most current discussions with the primary developer in River Terrace,they are anticipating building 250 new homes per year during the next five or more years. In addition,Tigard is adding 60 homes per year of infill housing. Our base condition of 3.5%revenue growth vs. 4.0% expenditure growth is unchanged. However,the development in River Terrace will produce additional revenue growth that can close the 0.5%gap between expenditures and revenues in the General Fund. That is good news for the base level of revenues while the development is occurring and allows us to afford current services;however it does not pay for additional services to meet the service demands of River Terrace and other development. Those homes will also produce demands for Tigard's services. This demand will need to be strategically addressed. As the FY 2018 Budget is being formed,there is a need to address both the base level of service and the incremental service that River Terrace is likely to require. Measuring City Performance Any future request to voters for funding will need to be well-justified and illustrate that the city is already considering efficiencies and cost-effectiveness in its operations and that we can show how we are using existing resources wisely.To this end,the City Council has asked me to develop measures at a summary level of how our city is performing. In an effort to communicate the city's needs concisely,we are re-focusing our performance measurement in the upcoming budget. I am asking departments to distill their descriptions of performance of city services down to 3-6 department-wide measures. I would like the measures to focus on the following three themes: 1. Measures that support the statement that'We are good stewards of the public's resources but even in our efficiency,the resources available are insufficient to meet the increasing demands of the community." 2. Measures that support the city's Strategic Plan and its four goal areas: to be the most walkable community in the Pacific Northwest where people of all ages and abilities live healthy and interconnected lives. 3. Measures that are important for the department,but may not fit in the above two categories. These measures should be limited in number. General Direction for FY 2018 Budget Preparation With these factors in mind,I am asking departments to follow these general guidelines in preparing budgets: • Start with a status quo budget. Assume you have the same amount of staff and supplies/services budget. Use your department descriptions and goals to state your ability to meet service demands for day-to-day services and also the Strategic Plan,including current and future residents. 2 • Tell me what you cannot get done within your status quo budget. Propose budget packages to inform me of the key strategic areas you cannot address. Be judicious in your requests. Please keep your request to the areas outlined above. Namely: o Investments needed to address growth from development of River Terrace; o Needed service enhancements that have gone unaddressed due to budget limitations of the past seven years. • Be prepared to overhaul the performance measurements that we use at the city-wide level to report about the city's performance. As with past budgets, there are very limited opportunities to expand General Fund Services. If a limited amount of funding is available,I will be working to use the issue papers prepared in June 2016 by the Leadership Team to set priorities for how to spend those limited dollars and build a 2017-18 budget proposal. Whether in General Fund,or in other funds,requests that come with additional revenue,or are offset by expenditure decreases are much more likely to be approved than those without offsets. Accumulating these requests will help me as I consider the Proposed Budget. As I construct the Proposed Budget,I will be weighing the opportunities Tigard faces. Even if most of the requests go unfunded,it is still helpful to know what our community needs and will help me formulate strategies for future budgets. Thank you for your continued help in crafting the upcoming budget proposal. 3 General Fund Forecast 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Annual Expenditures 31.1 32.0 32.6 33.5 34.8 36.0 37.4 38.7 40.2 Annual Revenues 31.6 32.9 33.7 33.4 34.0 35.2 36.4 37.7 39.0 Required Ending Fund Balance EFB for Cashflow 7.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 EFB for Reserve 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 Required EFB for Next Year 8.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 Ending Fund Balance 11.9 12.9 14.7 14.6 13.9 13.1 12.1 11.1 9.9 General Fund Forecast Initial 45.0 - 40.0 - `- 35.0 30.0 - 25.0 - 20.0 - 15.0 - 10.0 iii , 5.0 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Ems Ending Fund Balance Annual Expenditures Annual Revenues Required EFB for Next Year 2/13/2017 3:09 PM 100-General FY18 Graph- Initial AIS-3000 4. Workshop Meeting Meeting Date: 02/21/2017 Length (in minutes): 25 Minutes Agenda Title: Receive a Report on the Beginning of Public Outreach for Potential Ballot Measures Prepared For: Kent Wyatt, City Management Submitted By: Kent Wyatt, City Management Item Type: Receive and File Meeting Type: Council Business Meeting - Main Public Hearing: No Publication Date: Information ISSUE Discuss findings from initial public outreach which included a telephone and online survey. The Council will consider whether to seek a local option levy of Tigard voters at some time in the future. An initial step in this consideration is to understand what the community knows and values about city services and funding. Tigard entered into a contract with DHM Research to conduct three surveys to help inform future decisions. STAFF RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUEST Receive initial findings from public outreach related to a potential future voter-approved tax measure, and determine what else would be useful for the city to know for future decisions. Provide input to researchers and staff about what would be useful to know in the next survey effort. KEY FACTS AND INFORMATION SUMMARY During the 2016-17 budget deliberations, the budget committee advised that seeking a local option levy and facilities bond should be sought to maintain the sustainability of the City's general fund, and also to repair and replace city facilities, and also invest in the vision. The City has started the first phase of public opinion research to measure attitudes among likely voterstoward a local option levy. The purpose of this phase, which included a telephone and online survey, wasto assess resident satisfaction with city services and to determine values regarding future funding. John Horvick, Vice President of DHM Research, will review and discuss results from the first survey. In January, the survey was administered to 300 Tigard voters. This is a sufficient and valid sample size toassess voter opinions generally and to review findings by multiple subgroups, including age, gender, precinct, and political party. More than 320 people completed the online version of the survey. Another 100 people completed parts of the online survey. Staff used social media, listserves, and Cityscape to encourage community participation. The results of this first survey effort show high satisfaction with city services by voters.The findings also illustrate a perception gap between this satisfaction and the city's budget challenges. If the city is to be successful with any future voter approved measure, additional communication and education will be needed to bring awareness to the the funding issues the city faces. Staff,with the help of DHM Research,will continue to examine the prospect of seeking voter-approved tax measures and recommend to the Council later this year whether to make a levy request to voters. The continued public opinion research will ensure the city's assumptions and decisions are in line with the community's desires. Further, results of the public opinion research will ensure theCity Council has ongoing advice about the appropriate timing,priority and key messages for when to seek voter approval. The City's Leadership Team will also be in attendance to lend support for the concept of seeking a local option levy, discuss the need for additional outreach and education, and offer suggestions for approaches for communication and education that may help raise awareness of the funding challenges that thecity faces. OTHER ALTERNATIVES N/ 1 COUNCIL GOALS, POLICIES, APPROVED MASTER PLANS Goal 4 of the City's Strategic Plan is to "Fund the vision while maintaining core services." The City Council and Budget Committee have affirmed that the city will consider the need for a local option levy through the 2016-17 Budget adoption. DATES OF PREVIOUS COUNCIL CONSIDERATION City Council considered and approved the contract for DHM Research's services on September 13 and October 16, 2016. Attachments Tigard Survey#1 -Presentation LOL Survey#1 -Final Report Top Issue Open Ended Final Advice Open Ended Red Light Camera Open Ended CityTigardof FundingNeeds Survey Presentation to City Council February 21 , 2017 TIGARD dhA1RESEARCH DAVK WBBITfS i MIDGNAft!NC. City of PORTLAND I SEATTLE I WASHINGTON DC Tigard Research purpose ■ To assess resident satisfaction with city services and to determine values regarding future funding . ■ Also asked about the November 2016 fuel tax measure , and support for red light cameras. DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 Methodology ■ 300 City of Tigard registered voters ■ Randomly contacted by telephone , including both landline and cellphones • Quotas set by age, gender, and political affiliation ■ ±5 . 7% margin of error DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 Key Findings Tigard voters are extremely positive about the direction of their city Direction of Tigard Wrong track 15% Right direction 76% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 5 Voter satisfaction with overall city services is high among all demographic groups, and most voters are satisfied the value received for their taxes paid Tigard Residents Satisfied with Tigard Residents Satisfied with Services Overall Value of Tax Dollars 96% 96% 82% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 6 Voters are most satisfied with public safety and their access to parks and are most confident an increase in revenue would significantly improve these services Services: Satisfaction Services: Confidence Police/pubic safety 96% Police/pubic safety 64% Parks/open spaces 90% Parks/open spaces 62% Walking routes 87% Walking routes 60% Library services 84% Library services 60% Code enforcement 73% Recreation 56% Recreation 69% Code enforcement 53% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 Most voters believe that Tigard 's taxes are on par with taxes in other cities in the area Comparison of Tigard Taxes vs. Other Cities in the Metro Area Lower 13% About the same 57% Higher 14% Don't know 16% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 8 A A B Police and public safety Parks and open spaces CD C • (I) Library ♦ Walking Recreation Services • routes opportunities 0 () Code ♦ enforcement • c D Satisfaction DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 9 Police and public safety is the only service for which a majority of voters are willing to pay more in taxes Resident Willingness to Pay More for Improved Services Police/pubic safety 51% Walking routes 42% Library services 35% Parks/open spaces 34% Code enforcement 32% Recreation 29% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 10 Tigard voters believe that the City brings in enough revenue to continue to support its current service levels Is Tigard's Revenue Enough to Maintain Service Levels? Don't know 14% No 7% Yes 79% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 11 Voters are resistant to tax increases, likely due in part to perceptions of the city's financial stability Attitudes Toward City Funding Make cuts to services 48% Raise taxes 35% Don't know 17% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 12 Voters are split as to whether the cost of city services should be shared equally, or whether costs should be based on usage How Should Future Tax Increases Be Allocated? Based on usage 42% Residents pay equally 46% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 13 If taxes must increase, most residents would like to see businesses chip in , at least in part Preferences for Future Tax Increases Businesses pay more 40% Residents and businesses pay equally 29% Residents pay more 10% Don't know 21% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 14 Voters support red light cameras at busy intersections in Tigard Attitudes Toward Red Light Cameras Strongly support ► Strongly oppose 41% 21% 6% 25% • Strongly support •Somewhat support ■Somewhat oppose ■ Strongly oppose Don't know DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 15 Summary & Recommendations Key takeaways ■ Voters are very satisfied with the services provided by the City of Tigard and believe they receive a good value for their taxes paid . ■ Police and public safety services are the most important to voters , along with access to parks. DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 17 Key takeaways ■ Voters think that City of Tigard brings in adequate revenue to continue to provide the same level of service to residents . ■ Currently voters don't have an appetite for increased taxes, even if services in Tigard were certain to improve . ■ If taxes increase in the future, voters feel that they should be more targeted towards business. DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 Recommendations ■ As future planning unfolds , it will be important to remain committed to providing the best value to taxpayers, in addition to clearly communicating such value. oVoters who believe they receive a good bang for their buck are more willing to increase taxes than voters who simply believe they receive excellent service. DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 Recommendations ■ These results should be read as a starting point to give decision-makers information to formulate future plans . ■ Laying the groundwork for a successful campaign to raise funding will require a communication and education plan . oCommunicating the budget deficit will be critical to this effort. Residents must understand the challenges within the city budget before a strong majority will support tax increases. DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 Recommendations ■ Laying the groundwork for a successful campaign to raise funding will require a communication and education plan . oCommunicating the budget deficit will be critical to this effort. Residents must understand the challenges within the city budget before a strong majority will support tax increases. DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 rT Y m , ■ Future research and community engagement should consider: oWhich specific services to voters most value and be willing to pay for. oWhat information do voters need to better understand Tigard's finances and the impacts on service levels. oWhat communication mediums and messengers are most effective at delivering information about City finances and service levels. DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 John Horvick jhorvick@dhmresearch.com (503) 220-0575 www.dhmresearch.com @horvick dhmRESEARCH DAVIS HIBBITTS & MIDGHALL INC. January 2017 CityTigardof Funding Needs TELEPHONE SURVEY dh RESEARCH Prepared by DHM Research DAVIS HIBBITTS a M,IDGHAII.INC. PORTLAND I SEATTLE I WASHINGTON DC 503.220.0575 239 NW 13th Ave#205 Portland, OR 97209 www.dhmresearch.com Table of contents INTRODUCTION&METHODOLOGY _ 2 SUMMARY&OBSERVATIONS 3 RECOMMENDATIONS&NEXT STEPS 4 TELEPHONE SURVEY KEY FINDINGS 5 ONLINE COMMUNITY SURVEY KEY FINDINGS 19 APPENDIX 20 DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 1 Introduction & Methodology 1 From January 5-8, 2017, DHM Research conducted a telephone survey of Tigard voters. The purpose of the survey was to assess resident satisfaction with city services and to determine values regarding future funding. Research Methodology: The telephone survey consisted of 300 Tigard voters and took approximately 15 minutes to complete. This is a sufficient sample size to assess voter opinions generally and to review findings by multiple subgroups, including age, gender, precinct, and political party. Respondents were contacted by a live interviewer from a list of registered voters,which included cell phones. In gathering responses, a variety of quality control measures were employed, including questionnaire pre-testing and validation. Quotas were set by age, gender, and political party to ensure a representative sample. Statement of Limitations: Any sampling of opinions or attitudes is subject to a margin of error. The margin of error is a standard statistical calculation that represents differences between the sample and total population at a confidence interval, or probability, calculated to be 95%. This means that there is a 95% probability that the sample taken for this study would fall within the stated margin of error if compared with the results achieved from surveying the entire population. The margin of error for this survey is ±5.6%. DHM Research Background: DHM Research has been providing opinion research and consultation throughout the Pacific Northwest and other regions of the United States for over three decades. The firm is nonpartisan and independent and specializes in research projects to support public policy making. DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 2 Summary & Observations 2 Voters are very satisfied with the services provided by the City of Tigard and believe they receive a good value for their taxes paid. • Nearly all voters say they are very or somewhat satisfied with the services the City of Tigard provides, including police, parks and recreation, planning and permitting, street maintenance, as well as water and sewer(96%). • Furthermore, 82% of voters describe themselves as very or somewhat satisfied with the value received for their taxes paid. o Voter satisfaction with the value of their tax dollars is high among voters from all parties, and increases with income. Transportation, especially traffic, remains the biggest issue facing Tigard voters. • When asked about the most important issue facing Tigard, a plurality of voters mention transportation (43%total), including traffic and congestion(32%) and roads and infrastructure(6%), among other concerns. Police and public safety services are the most important to voters,along with access to parks. • Overall, 96% of voters are satisfied with police and public safety services in the city. Access to parks and open spaces is also rated very highly(90%). • However, all services enjoy high ratings(73% or higher). • While voters give high satisfaction ratings to all city services, their confidence in the city to improve such services with additional funding is diminished (53-64%). Voters think their taxes are average and believe that the City of Tigard brings in adequate revenue to continue to provide the same level of service to residents. • Most voters think their taxes in Tigard are about the same as taxes in other cities in the Portland Metro area (57%).While many think taxes are higher or are unsure, 13%think Tigard's taxes are lower by comparison. • Additionally, 79% of Tigard voters believe the City has adequate funding to continue to provide the same level of service. o Republicans are more likely than Democrats to believe current revenues are adequate (89% to 73%). Currently voters don't have an appetite for increased taxes, even if services in Tigard were certain to improve. • Most voters are unwilling to pay more in taxes to improve city services and support for increases ranged from 29%to 42%for most services. • The one exception is police and public safety, for which 51% of voters say they would be willing to pay more. If taxes increase in the future,voters feel that they should be more targeted towards business. • A plurality of voters say businesses should pay more if the City of Tigard were to increase taxes (40%).Additionally, 29% say residents and businesses should pay equally in such a scenario. • Just one in ten voters believes that if taxes increase, only residents should pay more (10%). DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 3 Recommendations & Next Steps 3 The results of this voter satisfaction survey clearly show that the City of Tigard provides high-level service to its residents. Although high satisfaction with services is desirable, it can pose challenges for cities who struggle to maintain funding. Because voters already believe the City is providing good or excellent service, it can be difficult to persuade them that tax increases are necessary. A very strong majority of voters also believe Tigard offers good value in providing services with tax dollars. When it comes to future funding, value is even more important than satisfaction. Throughout the survey, voters who believe they receive a good bang for their buck are more willing to increase taxes than voters who simply believe they receive excellent service.As future planning unfolds, it will be important to remain committed to providing the best value to taxpayers, in addition to clearly communicating such value. The challenge to increasing taxes that high satisfaction poses is further compounded by voter perceptions of the Tigard's finances. Most voters believe Tigard brings in adequate revenue to continue to provide the same level of service. Most voters also believe their taxes are on par with or higher than taxes in other cities in the Portland Metro area. These misconceptions can make it difficult to drum up support for increased taxes. Laying the groundwork for a successful campaign to raise funding will require a communication and education plan. Communicating the budget deficit will be critical to this effort. Residents must understand the challenges within the city budget before a strong majority will support tax increases. Specifically, voters will want to know how much additional funding the City needs, what types of services and programs will be cut in lieu of new funding, and how such cuts will impact their households. Voter advice to the City on reforming the budget, which included cutting waste and spending wisely, illuminate the fact that voters lack a sense of the scope of the budget issue. The importance of educating the public is borne out in the data. Few voters were aware that the city needs additional revenue to continue providing the same level of service (21 respondents). This small sample size means differences should be interpreted cautiously, but among those who were aware, willingness to pay for improved service was higher. Voters are most willing to support services related to safety, such as police and public safety and the ability to walk safely through Tigard. However, the City does not begin in a strong position for any tax increases. Even services related to safety failed to garner strong majority support, and furthermore, current results are likely an overestimate of actual willingness to pay. Last, it is important to remember that who bears a tax burden has a significant impact on voter support. Voters made clear in this survey that they would like to see business taxes increase, with or without resident tax increases. Providing specificity to voters on who will pay will increase the validity of the results in future surveys. Each of these items may be tested in follow up research. Specific proposals posed to voters will provide more concrete guidance on next steps for reforming Tigard's budget. DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 4 Key Findings 3 DHM Research conducted a telephone survey of Tigard voters to assess resident satisfaction with city services and to determine values regarding future funding. 3.1 INTRODUCTION & OVERALL SATISFACTION Tigard voters are extremely positive about the direction of their city. Three-quarters of voters believe things in Tigard are headed in the right direction (Q1). This figure is among the highest recorded by DHM for a community in Oregon in recent years. Notably, local and statewide right direction figures have enjoyed an uptick since the 2016 election, as Republicans have become more positive and Democrats have remained as positive as they were prior to the election. Chart 1 Direction of Tigard Wrong track 15% Right direction 76% Source:DHM Research,January 2017 Positivity about Tigard was high across demographics, and 64% of voters or more from each subgroup said things were headed in the right direction. Positivity was highest among voters under 30, Democrats, low-income voters (annual incomes of$25,000 or less) and those who moved to Tigard in the last five years. For each of these groups, 85% or more of voters said things were moving in the right direction. Transportation, specifically traffic congestion, remains the most important issue facing Tigard. Unprompted, more than four in ten voters mentioned transportation issues as the most important facing the community(43%). Specifically, 32%of voters mentioned traffic or congestion, while 6%mentioned roads or infrastructure. An additional 5% mentioned transportation generally. The focus on transportation is consistent with other recent research conducted with Tigard residents. DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 5 Traffic and congestion are of particular concern to certain voters, including those from Precinct 402 (46%) and those who have voted in all four of the last four elections (39%). Residents mentioned a variety of other issues, including growth and development(8%),jobs and the economy(5%), and schools and education(5%). Some of these lesser-mentioned issues were concentrated in specific demographic groups. For example, voters from Precinct 404 were more concerned about schools and education than others (15%), and voters who have lived in Tigard for 20 more years were more likely to mention taxes(10%). However, no other issue rose to the top of voters' minds as did transportation. Fora full list of issues mentioned, see the Appendix. Most voters believe that Tigard's taxes are on par with the taxes in other cities in the area. More than half of voters said Tigard's taxes are about the same as taxes in other cities in the Portland Metro area (Q24). Chart 2 Comparison of Tigard Taxes vs. Other Cities in Metro Area 13% 57% 14% 16% •Lower ■About the same •Higher •Don't know Source:DHM Research,January 2017 There were no significant demographic differences, and a majority of residents in each subgroup thought taxes were about the same. Voter satisfaction with overall city services is high among all demographic groups, and most voters are satisfied the value received for their taxes paid. Overall, nearly every voter described themselves as very or somewhat satisfied with the services the City of Tigard provides, including police services, library, parks and recreation, planning and permitting, street maintenance, water and sewer, and more(96%) (Q3). DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 6 Chart 3 Tigard Residents Satisfied with Services Overall 96% Source:DHM Research,January 2017 There were no notable differences by demographic, but there were a few differences by attitudinal subgroup.Voters who believe things in Tigard are headed in the right direction were significantly more satisfied than those who said things are off on the wrong track (98%to 89%).Additionally, residents who believe taxes in Tigard are equal to or lower than taxes in other cities in the Portland metro area were more satisfied than those who believe Tigard's taxes are higher(98-99%to 88%). Voters are not merely satisfied with city services, but also for the value received for the taxes and fees they pay for those services (Q4). For the value received, 82% of voters say they are very or somewhat satisfied. Again, satisfaction was high across demographic groups. Republicans and Democrats alike gave high marks, although non-affiliated voters, Independent Party members, and other voters were slightly more negative(83-84%to 78%). Voters from different precincts showed slight differences, ranging from 90% satisfaction in Precinct 409 down to 74% satisfaction in Precinct 400. Chart 4 Satisfaction by Precinct 409 90% 405 83% 402 82% 404 77% 400 74% Source:DHM Research,January 2017 DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 7 Perceived value for taxes paid increased as voters' incomes increased, and nearly all voters with incomes of$100,000 or more per year were satisfied the value of their tax dollars. Chart 5 Satisfaction by Annual Household Income <$25,000 59% $25-50,000 79% $50-75,000 87% $75-100,000 93% $100,000+ 95% Source: DHM Research,January 2017 As with satisfaction generally, those who said the city was headed in the right direction expressed significantly higher satisfaction with the value of their tax dollars than voters who think things are headed in the wrong direction (85% to 65%). 3.2 SATISFACTION WITH SPECIFIC CITY SERVICES Voters are most satisfied with public safety and their access to parks and are most confident an increase in revenue would significantly improve these services. Voters gave high satisfaction ratings to all city services, but the services earning the highest scores were police and public safety and access to parks and open spaces. Voter satisfaction with each service is correlated directly with their confidence as to whether the City would be able to make significant service improvements with additional revenue. The relationship between these two perceptions is shown below. DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 Chart 6 Satisfaction with Services Relative to Importance A B Police and public safety Parks and • V open spaces 01 • Library• •Walking Cservices routes 0 Recreation opportunities • Code enforcement • C D Satisfaction Source DHM Research,January 2017 The City's best performance is found in Quadrant B. This quadrant includes services with which voters are most satisfied and for which voters are most confident the City can make meaningful improvements. These results indicate that voters would be pleased to have the City continue to keep up the good work with these services. Additionally, voters are more willing to pay more to improve police and public safety than any other service(51%). Quadrant C shows issues of comparatively low priority when considering future funding allocations. Although voter satisfaction with code enforcement and recreation opportunities is quite high, these services are rated lowest by voters (73% and 69%). Diminished satisfaction with recreation opportunities is due to high a percentage of voters who said they didn't know(21%), whereas the diminished level of satisfaction with code enforcement is driven more by dissatisfaction (21%). Furthermore, voters do not express a comparatively high degree of confidence that additional funding would have a significant impact in these two services (53% and 56%). Quadrant D shows services that meet or exceed voter needs and expectations, and for which there may be limited room for improvement. Voters are highly satisfied with their ability to walk safely and library services(87% and 84%), but voters are somewhat lacking in confidence that the City will greatly improve them with additional funds (60% each). However, it is also important to note that the ability to walk safely was viewed as the second-most deserving of additional funding (42%). Quadrant A would ordinarily represent services for which voters desire significant improvement and were confident such improvement would occur. However, it services were to move into this quadrant—perhaps as the result of an education and communication plan—such services would likely bring support to a DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 9 funding campaign. The fact that no services currently fall in this quadrant indicates that voters don't see any specific service as in dire need of improvement or funding. Police and public safety are the only services for which a majority of voters are willing to pay more in taxes. A scant majority of voters said they are willing to pay more in taxes if they were certain it would improve Tigard's police and public safety(Q15). For most services, about one-third of voters indicated a willingness support more taxes for service improvements. Voters often over-estimate their tolerance for tax increases when they are not provided with specific proposals. Specific proposals may be posed to voters in follow up surveys. Successful campaigns for tax increases typically begin with support in the mid-60s. Chart 7 Resident Willingness to Pay More for Improved Services Police/public safety 51% Walking routes 42% Library services 35% Parks/open spaces 34% Code enforcement 32% Recreation 29% Source:DHM Research,January 2017 The following sections consider demographic differences regarding each service area. PARKS AND OPEN SPACES Satisfaction with parks, confidence that parks will improve, and willingness to pay more for parks all decrease with age(Q5-7). For example, 93% of voters under 30 are satisfied with parks, 72% are confident they would improve with additional funding, and 37% are willing to pay more for parks. Meanwhile 87% of voters 65 and older are satisfied with parks currently, 56% are confident they would improve, and 31%are willing to pay more for them. Democrats have more confidence in the City to use new revenues to significantly improve parks than do Republicans (72%to 49%). Non-affiliated and other voters fell in the middle(60%). However, although Democrats were also the most willing to pay more in taxes to support these improvements, less than half of voters of every registration were willing to do so(24%-46%). Voters earning $100,000 or more per year were the most willing to pay by income, yet fewer than half were so willing (47%). DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 10 Satisfaction with parks is highest among voters from Precincts 400 and 404(98% and 96%). Additionally, Precinct 400 voters are the most confident that parks would improve with additional revenue (78%, compared to 55-68%for other precincts). Voters who are highly satisfied with the value of their tax dollars were more likely than voters who are merely satisfied with services overall to be willing to pay to improve parks (56%to 45%). These results indicate there is a stronger correlation between perceived value of tax dollars and willingness to pay than there is between perceived value of tax dollars and satisfaction with city services. Indeed, voters who are highly satisfied with services may see no reason for additional tax dollars. This pattern is repeated throughout all service areas and may suggest that the City should focus on communicating to voters the value of their tax dollars, rather than attempting to increase voter satisfaction. RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES Satisfaction with recreation opportunities, including youth athletics, events, Movies in the Park, and the Family Egg Hunt was high among all age groups (66-71%) (Q8). However, confidence that additional revenue would significantly improve such opportunities and willingness to pay for such improvements decreased with age(Q9, Q10). For example, 69% of voters under 30 were confident about improvements and 35% of young voters were willing to pay for the improvements. Conversely, 49% of voters 65 and older were confident, and 27%of older voters were willing to pay more. Democrats were again most likely to be satisfied, confident, and willing to pay, although differences between parties were not statistically significant. Non-affiliated and other voters held opinions closer to Democrats when it came to confidence, but were closer to Republicans in their willingness to pay. On satisfaction, non-affiliated and other voters fell squarely in the middle. Low-income voters were the most satisfied with their recreation opportunities in the city(93%, compared to 61-76% of other income brackets). However, it was high-income voters ($100,000 or more)who were the most willing to pay for improvements (37%), although even these voters were much more likely to say they wouldn't pay for such improvements. Voter satisfaction with recreation opportunities was highest in Precinct 400 (76%), compared to other precincts (65-73%). WALKING ROUTES As with most services, Democrats and young voters were more willing to pay for improvements and were more confident that such improvements would occur with additional revenue. Non-affiliated and other voters expressed confidence similar to Democrats (62%to 65%), and confidence decreased with age. Women were more satisfied than men with their ability to walk safely through Tigard, although the difference was not statistically significant(90%to 84%) (Q11). However, women were significantly more likely than men to express confidence that additional revenue would improve walking routes (69% to 50%) (Q13). Men were slightly more willing to pay for improvements to walking infrastructure(44%to 40%) (Q12). Voters with children in the household and those without were equally satisfied with walking opportunities throughout the city(89% and 87%), although willingness to pay for improved walking routes was significantly higher among voters with children (53%to 38%). DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 11 POLICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY Voters were most satisfied with police and public safety, and were also most willing to pay for additional service and most confident that this service area would improve with more funding (Q14-16). Because satisfaction was so high among all demographic groups, there were no significant differences. Although a majority of voters under 65 indicated a willingness to pay more for improved public safety services (54%), voters 65 and older were staunchly opposed. While 41%of older voters said they were strongly or somewhat willing to pay more in taxes, 44% of these voters said they were strongly opposed to a tax increase. Confidence that the City would make meaningful improvements to public safety with additional funding also decreased with age, from 79%for those under 30 to 58%for those 65 and older. Once again, Democrats were most willing to pay more for service and were most confident that their tax dollars would be used to make significant improvements. Voters from Precinct 409 were most willing to pay(68%, compared to 38-56% in other precincts). However, it was the voters from Precinct 400 who were the most confident services would improve(75%, compared to 56-69% in other precincts.) Confidence in the City to use additional revenues to significantly improve police and public safety services was highest among low-income voters and lowest among middle income voters. Voters were asked later in the survey if they believe Tigard brings in enough revenue to retain existing service levels (Q23). Those who thought that Tigard did not bring enough revenue to continue to provide the same level of service were more willing to pay more for public safety services than voters who thought the city did have enough revenue(65%to 48%). This was true for all other services, except walking routes. LIBRARY SERVICES Voter satisfaction with libraries was high across demographic groups (60% or higher) (Q17). Although libraries were rated lower than public safety, parks, and walking opportunities, this may be partially due to the high percentage of voters who said they didn't know or have an opinion (14%). Democrats and voters under 30 were the most willing to pay more to support the Tigard library, although only a plurality of each group indicated support(42%and 45%). Voters under 45 were most confident that additional funding would support stronger library services (70%) and Democrats agreed (67%). Parents were somewhat more willing than voters without children to support additional funding (41%to 33%), and were slightly more confident than voters without children that the funding would have a significant impact(63%to 59%). CODE ENFORCEMENT Satisfaction with code enforcement, including enforcing city ordinances about neighborhood nuisances such as overflowing trash, open storage of junk, excessive noise, and illegal signs earned high ratings from voters 65 and older and Republicans (Q20). These results are a departure from the general trend seen in most other service areas, for which young voters gave the highest ratings and for which Democrats gave ratings equal to or higher than Republicans. DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 12 Four in five voters 65 and older were satisfied with code enforcement(80%), compared to 66%of voters under 30. Satisfaction grew steadily with age. Notably, there was little difference in the percentage of voters from each age group who said they didn't know(4-7%). Republicans were even more satisfied with code enforcement(84%). Democrats were somewhat less satisfied and non-affiliated and other voters were the least satisfied (74% and 63%). However, Democrats, as the trend would suggest, were the most willing to pay for additional code enforcement services (52%, compared to 21% of Republicans and 18% of non-affiliated and other voters). Parents were less satisfied with code enforcement than voters without children in the home(77%to 64%). Parents were also more willing to pay for additional service in this category (39%to 30%). As with every service, confidence that additional funding would significantly improve code enforcement was highest among voters under 30 and those with incomes of$25,000 per year or less. 3.3 FUTURE REVENUE Tigard voters overwhelmingly believe that the City brings in enough revenue to continue to support its current service levels. Four in five Tigard voters think the city collects adequate revenue to continue to provide the same level of service in the future(Q23). Meanwhile,just 2% of voters feel very strongly that the city does not have enough revenue to continue its existing service levels. Chart 8 Is Tigard's Revenue Enough to Maintain Service Levels? No 7% Yes 79% Source:DHM Research,January 2017 Although a strong majority of each demographic group believes the city has enough revenue, there were notable differences. For example, Republicans were the most likely to believe that resources are adequate(89%), representing a statistically significant difference between Democrats (73%). Non- affiliated and other voters held attitudes more like Democrats (76%). DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 13 Additionally, voters from Precinct 400, where satisfaction was often highest, were the most likely to agree that the City already brings in enough revenue (97%). Voters from Precinct 402 were the least likely to agree, although they were still overwhelmingly of the belief that the City has adequate resources (67%). The City may deem it appropriate to focus on this area in future communications to Tigard residents, as voters unaware of budget shortfalls are less likely to support additional funding. Specifically, the City would likely benefit from communicating the specific risks surrounding a constrained budget. Future surveys may illuminate which type of service and program cuts are most impactful to voters, and which cuts they would be most willing to pay to prevent. Voters are resistant to tax increases, likely due in part to perceptions of the city's financial stability. Nearly half of voters said that the City should make cuts to programs and services, as opposed to raising taxes to maintain current service levels (Q27). Chart 9 Resident Attitudes Toward City Funding Make cuts to services 48% Raise taxes 35% Don't know 17% Source:DHM Research,January 2017 A plurality or majority of most demographic groups chose cuts over tax increases, although there were some exceptions. A plurality of Democrats preferred raising taxes (45%), along with a plurality of voters from Precinct 400(37%). Opinions were stronger in Precinct 409, where a majority of voters supported increasing taxes (53%). A majority of voters who moved to Tigard in the last five years also preferred tax increases (56%). Additionally, voters who are very satisfied with the value received for their tax dollars would prefer an increase in taxes to maintain current service levels(58%, compared to 26% of voters who are somewhat satisfied or dissatisfied with said value). On the other hand, a plurality of voters who think things in Tigard are headed in the right direction would prefer cuts to services (46%). However, their preference for cuts was not nearly as strong as it was among voters who think things are off on the wrong track (64%). Voters who believe Tigard needs additional revenue to maintain current service levels were equally split between making cuts or raising taxes (46%and 47%). This result, especially, shows the importance of a strong communication strategy with voters about what cuts would be necessary to balance the budget. In DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 1 d future surveys, if voters respond to specific service and program cuts, along with specific costs for keeping current service levels, preferences may shift in favor of tax increases. Voters are split as to whether the cost of city services should be shared equally, or whether costs should be based on usage. In determining how future tax increases should be distributed, voters were split as to whether costs should be shared equally among residents or higher for those who use more services (Q25). Chart 10 How Should Future Tax Increases Be Allocated? Residents Based pay on usage equally 42% 46% Source: DHM Research,January 2017 Most demographic groups were split almost evenly between the two choices. However, a majority of Democrats felt the costs should be shared equally(54%). They were joined by voters ages 45-64 (53%), voters who have lived in Tigard for 20 or more years (56%), and low-income voters (65%). Voters who feel strongly that they receive good value for their taxes paid are more inclined to believe that costs should be shared evenly(57%, compared to 42% of those who feel less strongly). Additionally, voters who support raising taxes to maintain current service levels are more likely to believe those increases should be shared equally, compared to voters who prefer cutting services to balance the budget(58%to 42%). If taxes must increase, most residents would like to see businesses chip in, at least in part. Assuming taxes will increase, voters are clear that businesses should pay more than they do currently (Q26). Overall, 69% of voters believe that businesses should pay as much or more as residents, if taxes increase. Although many voters were unable to make a choice,just one in ten thought residents should pay more than businesses (10%). DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 15 Chart 11 Preference for Future Tax Increases a Businesses pay more "„; .11.170 Residents and businesses 290/0 pay equally Residents pay more 10% Don't know 21% Source:DHM Research,January 2017 A plurality of voters of all parties indicated that businesses should pay more than residents in a future tax increase. However, Republicans were twice as likely as Democrats or non-affiliated and other voters to say that residents should pay more (16%, compared to 8-9%). Voters under 30 showed a clear preference for making businesses pay more (41%), although notably one in three weren't sure (36%). There were no other notable differences by age. A majority of voters from Precinct 400 thought businesses should pay more(56%), while voters in other precincts were split, and only a plurality believed businesses should pay more(32%-39%). Voters with incomes of$100,000 per year or more were most likely to say business and residents should pay equally(41%). However, this group was both most likely to say residents should pay more(25%), and least likely to agree that businesses should pay more(20%). The question of"who pays?” is an important one when discussing future tax increases. Although voters were significantly more likely to prefer making cuts to services over raising taxes earlier in the survey, they were not provided with information about who would shoulder such increases. Considering the preference in this question that businesses pay as much or more than residents, specific tax proposals in future surveys that focus on businesses may enjoy stronger support. Although voters don't want their taxes to increase, they are unable to provide specific ideas for reforming the budget. In providing final advice about city finances, voters asked city leaders to be practical about balancing the budget(Q28). Overall, 15% of voters said the city should focus on cutting waste and balancing the budget. Other pieces of advice included spending money wisely(8%), making do with what they have (8%), and cutting non-essential services. Some voters wanted to make clear that city leaders should not raise taxes(7%). Very few voters offered specific policy ideas for cuts. A handful suggested cutting staff(2%) or charging developers more(1%). DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 1 6 Meanwhile, 10% of voters specifically said they wanted city leaders to raise taxes. Unsurprisingly, Republicans were most likely to suggest cutting waste and balancing the budget(24%), while Democrats were the most likely to recommend raising taxes(17%). These vague results show that voters don't have specific services in mind for the chopping block. Even perceptions of waste are unspecific. In future surveys, if voters are asked to cut specific services and programs from the budget, the preference for making cuts may wane. 3.4 GAS TAX Many voters recall casting a ballot against the gas tax in November, citing general concerns about tax increases. A plurality of voters specifically recalled voting "no" on the recent gas tax measure in Tigard (47%) (Q29). Overall, one in six could not remember(17%), and 5% didn't vote. Predictably, Democrats were more likely to remember voting for the measure(44%) and Republicans were more likely to recall voting against it(59%). Non-affiliated and other votes also recalled voting against the tax increase(55%). Most of those who said they voted against the measure recalled doing so because the tax was too high (67%) (Q30). This response was very common among all demographic groups and no significant differences emerged. 3.6 RED LIGHT CAMERAS Voters support red light cameras at busy intersections in Tigard. A strong majority of voters said they would support using red light cameras at intersections to promote safety(Q31). Notably, four in ten voters strongly supported the idea. Chart 12 Attitudes Toward Red Light Cameras 41% 21% 6% 25% 7% •Strongly support ■Somewhat support w Somewhat oppose •Strongly oppose Don't know Source.DHM Research,January 2017 Women were significantly more supportive of the cameras than were men (69%to 55%). There was little difference in support between parents and voters without children in the home(63%to 61%). DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 17 A simple majority or more of all demographic groups support the cameras, with one exception: low- income voters. Instead, 54%of voters with incomes of$25,000 per year or less opposed the cameras. DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 18 Online Community Survey Key Findings 4 In addition to interviewing Tigard voters by phone, DHM Research made the questionnaire available online so Tigard residents could share their input. The City of Tigard promoted the online community survey, which was available from January 19 to February 6, 2017. Community surveys provide a valuable opportunity to collect data and opinions from residents, but attitudes may not accurately reflect the entire population. However, differences between a statistically valid telephone survey and an online community survey may illuminate important details about community opinions. In comparing results from the two methodologies, residents who took the online survey("residents") did hold different opinions from voters who took the telephone survey("voters"). Residents were consistently more critical of Tigard's services and more willing to pay for improved services. This pattern was apparent from the outset. Even in the warmup, fewer residents believed Tigard is headed in the right direction as compared to voters(62%to 76%). Residents were typically less satisfied with services, with the exception of the library. The starkest differences between residents and voters were in their satisfaction with recreation and the ability to walk safely around Tigard. For each of these services, residents were significantly less satisfied than voters. Just as high voter satisfaction may translate into an unwillingness to pay more in taxes, the opposite is may also be true. Residents were more willing to pay for each city service, with differences ranging from five percentage points for code enforcement to 22 percentage points for parks and open spaces. Although more willing to raise taxes, residents expressed somewhat less confidence that the City of Tigard would make meaningful service improvements with new revenues. Overall, residents were more likely than voters to lack confidence—either somewhat or strongly—that the City would succeed in making such improvements. However, voters were more likely than residents to say they felt strongly that the City would not actually make such improvements. While voters felt the City should make cuts to services in lieu of raising taxes, resident opinions took the opposite view. Residents were also twice as likely as voters to say that Tigard's taxes are generally lower than taxes in other area cities (26%to 13%), and they preferred a tax model in which those who use services more pay more(53%, compared to 42%for voters). The differences between voter opinions and resident opinions are important to consider moving forward. Residents who proactively sought to share their opinion in the community survey may be more informed about city operations and the services and programs offered by Tigard. They may also be more likely to share their opinions in other venues, such as at a city council meeting. Accordingly, councilors may hear from constituents whose opinions are closer to the results seen in the online community survey. However, voter opinions at the ballot box may be closer to the results seen in the telephone survey. DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 19 Appendix 5 City of Tigard Survey—Funding Needs Survey#1 Telephone: January 5-8, 2017 N=300 registered voters 15 minutes; Margin of error±5.6% DHM Research #00519 INTRO 1. All in all, would you say things in Tigard are headed in the right direction, or are they off on the wrong track? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Ri•ht direction 76% 62% Wron• track 15% 20% (DON'T READ Don't know 9% 18% 2. What is the most important issue facing Tigard? (OPEN) Telephone Response Category N=300 Traffic, congestion 32% Growth/development, population growth 8% Roads, infrastructure 6% Transportation (general) 5% Jobs, economy 5% Schools, education 5% Taxes 4% Homelessness 3% Public transportation 3% Light rail (oppose) 2% Affordable housing, rents 2% Street lights, sidewalks, crosswalks 2% Light rail plans (general) 2% All other responses 1% or less Nothing, none 6% Don't know 5% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 20 3. The City of Tigard provides many services and facilities: police services, library, parks and recreation, planning and permitting, street maintenance, water and sewer and more. In general, how satisfied are you with the services provided by the City of Tigard: very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, not too satisfied, or not at all satisfied? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total satisfied 96% _ 86% Very satisfied 49% 35% Somewhat satisfied 47% 51% Total unsatisfied 3% 14% Not too satisfied 3% 13% Not at all satisfied 0% 1% (DON'T READ) Don't know 0% 0% 4. The City of Tigard funds basic services with taxpayer dollars and fees for services. In general, how satisfied are you with the value received for your taxes and fees paid?Are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, not too satisfied, or not at all satisfied? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total satisfied 82% 75% Very satisfied 27% 26% Somewhat satisfied 55% 49% Total unsatisfied 16% 21% Not too satisfied 10% 16% Not at all satisfied 6% 6% (DON'T READ) Don't know 2% 3% SERVICES Next, I would like to ask you about local services that are provided by the City of Tigard. These services have been identified by City Council and an independent citizen budget committee, as priorities for funding. For each service, I will ask three questions about each. First, if you are satisfied with the quality of that service. Second, if you would be willing to pay more in local taxes to improve that service. And finally, if you are confident that the city would actually make significant improvements to that service if it had more revenue. DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 21 First, is... (RANDOMIZE SERVICE BLOCKS) Parks and open spaces. These include playgrounds and natural areas. 5. All things considered, are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, not too satisfied, or not at all satisfied with parks and open spaces? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total satisfied 90% 84% Very satisfied 51% 41% Somewhat satisfied 39% 43% Total unsatisfied 6% _ 13% Not too satisfied 3% 10% Not at all satisfied3% 3% (DON'T READ) Don't know 4% 3% 6. Would you be willing to pay in more in local taxes if you were certain that would improve Tigard's parks and open spaces? (yes/no; wait, ask strongly/somewhat) Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total Yes 34% 56% Yes, strongly 22% 23% Yes, somewhat 12% _ 32% Total No 61% 41% No, somewhat 14% 20% No, strongly 47% 21% (DON'T READ) Don't know 5% 3% 7. If the City of Tigard had more revenue, how confident are you that the city would actually make significant improvements to parks and open spaces: very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total confident 62% 60% Very confident 22% 21% Somewhat confident 40% 39% Total not confident 29% 34% Not too confident 14% 22% Not at all confident 15% 12% (DON'T READ) Don't know 9% 7% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 22 Recreation opportunities within the city. These include things like more youth athletics, events like the Youth Bike Fair, Movies in the Park, and the Family Egg Hunt. 8. All things considered, are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, not too satisfied, or not at all satisfied with recreation opportunities within the city? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total satisfied 69% 54% Very satisfied 32% 21% Somewhat satisfied 37% 33% Total unsatisfied 11% 33% Not too satisfied 5% 21% Not at all satisfied 6% 12% (DON'T READ) Don't know 21% 12% 9. Would you be willing to pay in more in local taxes if you were certain that would improve Tigard's recreation opportunities? (yes/no; wait, ask strongly/somewhat) Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total Yes 29% 47% Yes, strongly 14% 18% Yes, somewhat 15% 28% Total No 59% 48% No, somewhat 15% 19% No, strongly 44% 28% (DON'T READ) Don't know 12% 6% 10. If the City of Tigard had more revenue, how confident are you that the city would actually make significant improvements to recreation opportunities: very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total confident 56% 48% Very confident 19% 15% Somewhat confident 38% 33% Total not confident 28% 40% Not too confident 15% 26% Not at all confident 14% 14% (DON'T READ) Don't know 15% 12% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 23 Ability to walk safely around Tigard.This includes things like sidewalks and paths to shopping, schools, parks, and connections between neighborhoods. 11. All things considered, are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, not too satisfied, or not at all satisfied with the ability to walk safely around Tigard? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total satisfied 87% 62% Very satisfied 44% 15% Somewhat satisfied 44% 47% Total unsatisfied 11% 36% Not too satisfied 8% 22% Not at all satisfied 4% 14% (DON'T READ) Don't know 1% 1% 12. Would you be willing to pay in more in local taxes if you were certain that would improve your ability to walk safely around Tigard? (yes/no; wait, ask strongly/somewhat) Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total Yes 42% 60% Yes, strongly 21% 27% Yes, somewhat 21% 33% Total No 53% 38% No, somewhat 12% 20% No, strongly 41% 18% (DON'T READ) Don't know 4% 2% 13. If the City of Tigard had more revenue, how confident are you that the city would actually make significant improvements your ability to walk safely around Tigard: very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total confident 60% 57% Very confident 22% 16% Somewhat confident 37% 41% Total not confident 33% 38% Not too confident 17% 26% Not at all confident 16% 11% (DON'T READ) Don't know 7% 5% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 24 Police and Public Safety. 14. All things considered, are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, not too satisfied, or not at all satisfied with police and public safety in Tigard? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total satisfied 96% 90% Very satisfied 65% 53% Somewhat satisfied 32% 36% Total unsatisfied 3% _ 8% Not too satisfied 2% 5% Not at all satisfied 1% 3% (DON'T READ) Don't know 0% 2% 15. Would you be willing to pay in more in local taxes if you were certain that would improve Tigard's police and public safety? (yes/no; wait,ask strongly/somewhat) Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total Yes 51% 58% Yes, strongly 25% 23% Yes, somewhat 26% 35% Total No 45% 37% No, somewhat 10% 21% No, strongly 35% 16% (DON'T READ) Don't know 4% 5% 16. If the City of Tigard had more revenue, how confident are you that the city would actually make significant improvements to police and public safety: very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total confident 64% 60% Very confident 26% 17% Somewhat confident 38% 43% Total not confident 29% 33% Not too confident 15% 21% Not at all confident 14% 12% (DON'T READ) Don't know 7% 7% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 25 Library services. 17. All things considered, are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, not too satisfied, or not at all satisfied with library services in Tigard? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total satisfied 84% 86% Very satisfied 67% 69% Somewhat satisfied 17% 17% Total unsatisfied 2% 3% Not too satisfied 0% _ 2% Not at all satisfied 2% 1% (DON'T READ) Don't know 14% 11% 18. Would you be willing to pay in more in local taxes if you were certain that would improve Tigard's library services? (yes/no; wait, ask strongly/somewhat) Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total Yes 35% 43% Yes, strongly 21% 18% Yes, somewhat 14% 25% Total No 54% 50% No, somewhat 11% _ 23% No, strongly 43% 26% (DON'T READ) Don't know 10% 7% 19. If the City of Tigard had more revenue, how confident are you that the city would actually make significant improvements to library services: very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total confident 60% 54% Very confident 22% 24% Somewhat confident 38% 30% Total not confident 28% 32% Not too confident 14% 22% Not at all confident 13% 10% (DON'T READ) Don't know 13% 13% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 26 Code enforcement.This includes enforcing city ordinances about things neighborhood nuisances such as overflowing trash, open storage of junk,excessive noise, and illegal signs. 20. All things considered, are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, not too satisfied, or not at all satisfied with code enforcement in Tigard? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total satisfied 73% 56% Very satisfied 36% 21% Somewhat satisfied 37% 35% Total unsatisfied 21% 26% Not too satisfied 16% 17% Not at all satisfied 5% 9% (DON'T READ)Don't know 6% 18% 21. Would you be willing to pay in more in local taxes if you were certain that would improve Tigard's code enforcement? (yes/no; wait, ask strongly/somewhat) Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total Yes 32% 37% Yes, strongly 18% 9% Yes, somewhat 14% 28% Total No 59% 51% No, somewhat 14% 26% No, strongly 46% 25% (DON'T READ) Don't know 8% 12% 22. If the City of Tigard had more revenue, how confident are you that the city would actually make significant improvements to code enforcement: very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total confident 53% 40% Very confident 15% 10% Somewhat confident 37% 31% Total not confident 36% 44% Not too confident 18% 26% Not at all confident 18% 17% (DON'T READ) Don't know 11% 16% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 27 VALUE OF TAX DOLLARS Thank you. Now let's move on to some different questions. 23. To the best of your understanding, do you think the City of Tigard brings in enough revenue through taxes and fees to continue to provide the same level of services? (yes/no; wait, ask strongly/somewhat) Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total Yes 79% 64% Yes, strongly 52% 24% Yes, somewhat 27% 40% Total No 7% 20% No, somewhat 5% 13% No, strongly 2% 6% (DON'T READ) Don't know 14% 16% 24. Compared to other cities in the Portland Metro area, do you think Tigard's taxes are generally higher, generally lower, or about the same? Response Category Telephone Online N=300 N=321 GeneralI hi•her 14% 18% General) lower 13% 26% About the same 57% 32% DON'T READ) Don't know 16% 23% FUTURE REVENUES 25. To pay for city services, would you prefer that... (rotate statements A and B) Response Category Telephone Online N=300 N=321 a. All residents •a e•uall 46% 36% b. Those who use services more pay 42%0 53% more c. DON'T READ Don't know 12% 11% 26. If the City of Tigard were to increase taxes, would you prefer that... (rotate statements A and B) Response Category Telephone Online N=300 N=321 a. Residents •a more 10% 3% b. Businesses •a more 40% 30% c. (DON'T ASK) Residents and 29% 53% businesses •a e•uall d. (DON'T READ) Don't know 21% 14% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 28 Now, I'd like to tell you more about the City of Tigard's financial situation. Since 2009, Tigard's population has increased by nearly ten percent and is expected to continue to grow. The costs of delivering services have also increased. As a result, the City of Tigard's ability to deliver services has declined 6%. Without additional revenue the City will need to make cuts to existing programs and services. 27. Knowing this, which of the following statements is closest to your opinion? (Rotate statements A and B) Response Category Telephone Online N=300 N=321 a. The City of Tigard should raise taxes to maintain programs and services at their 35% 50% current levels. b. The City of Tigard should not raise taxes, even if that means making cuts to 48% 33% •rorams and services. (DON'T READ Don't know 17% 17% 28. The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this, what would be your final advice to city leaders? (Open) Response Category Telephone N=300 Cut waste, balance budget 15% Raise taxes 10% Spend wisely/responsibly 8% Do with what they have 8% Do not raise taxes 7% Cut non-essential services 7% Evaluate services that can be cut 6% Maintain services 5% Population/job growth should increase 300 revenue Be efficient 3% Be fair/consistent 3% Allocate funds as needed 2% Cut staff 2% All other responses 1% or less None, nothing 6% Don't know 14% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 29 GAS TAX Thank you. We are almost done. I have just a few more questions on some different topics. Residents in the City of Tigard voted on a measure in November to increase the city's gas tax to fund street maintenance and key pedestrian and safety projects. 29. To the best of your recollection, did you vote in favor of the gas tax or did you vote against it? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Voted for 31% 56% Voted a•ainst 47% 26% Don't remember 17% 12% Didn't vote 5% 5% 30. (If"Voted against") Do you recall the most important reason that you voted against the gas tax? (Open) Response Category Telephone N=140 Tax was too high, no more taxes 67% Not needed 6% Did not like what it was funding 5% Did not know what it was for 4% Waste of money 4% Seen no road improvements 3% Won't use as intended 3% All other responses 1% or less Don't know 2% RED LIGHT CAMERAS The City of Tigard is interested in your opinion about red light cameras. These are cameras that monitor busy intersections and take photographs of vehicles that run red lights. Tickets are sent violators. Red light cameras are used by other cities in the Portland metro area and have been shown to make intersections safer for pedestrians and motorists. 31. Based on what you know, would you support or oppose the City of Tigard installing red light cameras at busy intersections? [wait and ask strongly/somewhat] Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Total support 62% 58% Strongly support 41% 33% Somewhat support 21% 25% Total oppose 31% 39% Somewhat oppose 6% 12% Strongly oppose 25% 27% (DON'T READ) Don't know 7% 3% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 30 DEMOGRAPHICS 32. Gender(BY OBSERVATION) Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Male 50% 36% Female 50% 61% Refused -- 3% 33. Age(RECORD FROM SAMPLE) Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 18-29 20% 7% 30-44 26% 36% 45-64 35% 36% 65+ 20% 18% Refused -- 3% 34. Political Party(RECORD FROM SAMPLE) Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Democrat 40% 44% Re•ublican 27% 22% NAV/other 33% 24% Refused -- 10% 35. Precinct(RECORD FROM SAMPLE) Telephone Response Category N=300 400 12% 402 26% 404 20% 405 26% 409 16% 36. How many years have you lived in Tigard? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 0-2 years 4% 14% 3-5 years 8% 13% 6-10 years 16% 15% 11-20 years 30% 26% More than 20 years 41% 30% Refused 1% 2% 37. Are there any children under 18 living in your household? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Yes 26% 39% No 74% 58% DON'T READ) Refused N=1 3% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 31 38. What was your total household income in 2016? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Less than $25,000 4% 5% $25,000 to$49,999 13% 8% $50,000 to$74,999 18% 15% $75,000 to$99,999 17% 21% $100,000 to$149,999 9% 23% $150,000 or more 7% 8% (DON'T READ) Refused 33% 20% 39. What is the highest level of education you have achieved? Telephone Online Response Category N=300 N=321 Less than high school 0% 1% High school diploma/GED 13% 5% 2-year degree/Some college 32% 24% 4-year degree 36% 36% Graduate/professional school 14% 30% (DON'T READ) Refused 4% 4% DHM RESEARCH I CITY OF TIGARD FUNDING NEEDS I JANUARY 2017 32 What is the most important issue facing Tigard? Affordable housing (8) Affordable housing and walkability. Affordable housing,traffic congestion, sense of community spirit. We have lived here 40 years and it has never felt like a town it just feels like a spread out shopping mall. All of 99W needs updated.We need a common gathering area with a community center or water feature?Older streets. 121st neighborhood needs street lights and repaved sidewalks. Attract customers to downtown Based what I currently see, it's very superficial:traffic issues (like there is too much traffic on the road). Better access to mass transit. I'm thankful the last election passed light rail acceptance. Budget issues Budget woes. People wanting more services without being willing to pay for them. Granted,Tigard is not exactly unique in this regard :( Building more of a sense of community- like Beaverton has. Building too many houses, population growth Building vibrant downtown. Bunch of tax measures Business development(4) City has proclaimed a vision of being the most walkable city.This means more than creating paths and options for walking. It also means safety and promoting safety.A man was killed crossing 99 at Canterbury. We walk all the time in Tigard. I cannot count the number of times we have "almost" been hit. Durham at 99 is a disaster waiting to happen. And Bull Mountain Road?Good grief. At least put in sidewalks. Congestion and lack of walkability Congestion! 99W and also Scholls. But 99W especially weekends which just kills your damn mood when you realize: I should've known better than to go on 99. Congestion on roads due to inadequate infrastructure, both lack of roads and poor signal timing. Congestion. While providing for bikes and pedestrians is important,we cannot ignore the commuters who pay taxes, live here or pass through to Portland. Crime Crosswalks are really bad Crowded roads; SW corridor is the way to go! Many people disagree that "induced traffic demand" is a reality. Is it possible to have a planner explain this concept to the citizens so they understand we can't build more roads and expect congestion to go away? Open Ended Responses 1 Telephone and Online Survey What is the most important issue facing Tigard? Current road conditions,which were not great before the snow (streets too small and in poor condition) and are even worse now (so many potholes!). Max in the SW corridor. Currently it is the housing crisis.Although it expands beyond Tigard as well, COT needs to be looking at strategic ways to build more housing. De-icing side streets so I can get out in storms!! Develop the Sunrise Park. Development of downtown Development, and facility maintenance Don't want light rail, don't agree with buying all this land for parks Drug activity,traffic, everything Drug use and traffic congestion Drugs is severe in Tigard Economy(2) Education (7) Employment Ensuring infrastructure is equipped to handle the growing population Escalating costs of providing services Escalating water bills Establishing an identity for the city as other than "just a suburb" of Portland. Except for light rail and those filbert blossoms! Expanding beyond their means and not listening to Tigard residents and business. It seems the mayor and staff are not leading in Tigard's best interests but instead Portland and county best interests. Expanding services Expansion without transportation infrastructure Finding places to live that accommodate all lifestyles and budgets. Fix up downtown area to make it more attractive for people to shop From my limited perspective,traffic congestion and the way we perceive it. I've heard it said that Tigard's business day population swells by 4 X. These people that influx Tigard during the work day bring their money with them and buy lunch,gas,groceries etc. here.Their economic benefit brought into Tigard and the resulting taxes as a result of them being here should be payment enough to support an improved infrastructure. Don't YOU think so?? Open Ended Responses 2 Telephone and Online Survey What is the most important issue facing Tigard? Funding for expanding city services. Affordable housing Funding sources Getting more local businesses into the empty real estate in downtown Tigard. We want our downtown to thrive. Government spending. Growing population= roads!!! Growth (5) Growth and housing Growth and transportation,which I feel go hand in hand, because as more people move here, we will experience more traffic woes. Handling growth (e.g. street maintenance, public services, and affordable expansion of housing). Having more walkable roads Having moved here,just three years ago, on one hand I don't know enough. On the other hand, I see different things.Some traffic signals last far too long,while another direction, not so much. The traffic in general is an issue. Homeless (10) Homelessness and street repairs Homelessness and too much growth. Homelessness,traffic, panhandling Housing (5) Housing and traffic Housing developments, education, long term growth Housing, poverty Housing,traffic, paving of roads and streets How much high capacity transit will cost taxpayers. And I believe rail is not the answer. If I had to pay taxes I'd rather increase busing routes. Hwy 99 cutting the city in half. Downtown making good progress, but not as awesome as it could be I am seeing a lot more homeless people. I am frequently seeing (and picking up)empty beer cans and bags of garbage thrown in our neighborhood on a weekly basis. I don't like the amount of money they're spending to reform downtown. Open Ended Responses 3 Telephone and Online Survey What is the most important issue facing Tigard? I just moved here about two months ago, but I could guess the same that plagued my Wilsonville. High density housing,too much growth too fast for the city to handle,and the traffic that both bring. I know the city is focusing on making Tigard more walkable, but with how large the area is,that is just not practical for many of us and some roads really need to be repaved, specifically Hall after this recent snowstorm. I like that we are back in the running for light rail. However the road situation is horrendous. Even in front of city hall you have to drive under the speed limit because you can't even fix the road in front of you. I think community has little connection,we don't have that sense of neighbors or neighborhood I think improving the community while preserving the affordability of the community is important. I think mass transit would be awesome I think that revamping the downtown area is the most important thing that Tigard can focus on right now. This includes 99W and the businesses that are located around it. In order for it to feel more like a community, I would like to see small businesses, local foods,community centers,and more family- friendly places. I think Tigard is going pretty well I think Tigard is growing too fast. I would think that the traffic and commuting down 99 is bad I'm greatly concerned about walkability. I have a handicap and rely on public transport when my husband cannot drive me places. We are both employed and own our new home, but chose to own only one car. In my walk from Pinebrook to Hall and Bonita,and back again, I have to trek through mud, gravel, and walk in narrow bike lanes. I am very often nearly hit by cars. It was impossible to walk on public streets during our ice storm because no one enforced clearing and shoveling of sidewalks.Yes, there is a sidewalk on the other side of Hall. But I'd have to jaywalk to get to it, or go two blocks in mud to cross legally. Please help and provide sidewalks. Not everyone who owns a home here has two cars and kids in the high school. I'm very concerned about Max. What it did on the in East County was reduce neighborhood bus lines, and increased theft from businesses. And why would the City approve a six-story building on 99W? Improve public safety Improvement in issues transportation related.Also, improve the downtown area. Improvement of quality of apartments.There are too many old and low quality housing in Tigard. It is time to attract new investors to build new high quality housing. Improving downtown and build more parks Inconsiderate and racist people,who spend all their time judging people based on their appearance Open Ended Responses 4 Telephone and Online Survey What is the most important issue facing Tigard? Increasing taxes and fees. Get your house in order. If you had to compete with a business you'd be out of business. Infrastructure(3) It would be nice to have the light trail from Tigard to downtown or wherever. However the system would work It's not so much the level of traffic which is difficult to control, but the number of traffic scofflaws. Speeding and ignoring crosswalks are imperiling pedestrians which negatively impact the city's goal of being a walkable one. Jobs (5) Just the overall cost of living Keeping our small-town feel Keeping the cost of government down. Keeping Tigard a livable city Keeping Tigard safe. Lack of easy access to resources. City's website is very difficult to navigate unless you understand it very well.Trying to find things like sanding priority maps,emergency water shut offs, and what to do if a tree falls,are not easily accessible without going to several pages before finding them. Lack of funding for essential services Lack of good local jobs Lack of nice retail along 99. Lack of sidewalks for achieving the goal of the community Lack of sidewalks in our neighborhoods. Lack of tennis courts Light rail (24) Livability- restaurants, public transit,walkability, schools Livability. I only live in Tigard. Everything fun or interesting is in a neighboring town. Lot of road construction that's taking a long time to fix. Low taxes,the city need to lower taxes Maintaining our identity as a city as we grow Managing aspects related to population growth Managing growth well. Adequate funding for schools. Creating a city recreation center Open Ended Responses 5 Telephone and Online Survey What is the most important issue facing Tigard? Meeting very diverse needs of community with limited resources. Misconceptions about traffic congestion More money for teachers and class size is too large Need City funded recreation center built and city operation of that recreation center. 50,000 people and no municipal recreation center is a tremendous shame and disservice to our citizens. Not everyone can afford private clubs. Need for dedicated mass public transit like light rail, low income housing, and the services to the disenfranchised members of our community Need more and better jobs Needing better transit to connect with downtown Neighborhood communication. No senior center for in our area Not having reliable bus service to work Obviously channeling traffic in numerous areas would be a high priority. Given the recent snow/ice conditions greater emphasis should be given for sanding secondary and hilly residential roads. Our growth rate is becoming larger than our resources. Schools and housing,for example. Over building of the city Over development. Increased traffic. Over taxation Overcrowding Overcrowding, price of living has gone up Overdeveloping and too much new housing. Overpopulation (3) Parking downtown.Too many homeless. PARKING I I I l l l l l l l l l l Parks Patrolling the streets for speeders. I live a few houses of st.121 between Gaarde and Walnut. Any time of the day there will be several drivers speeding.A not-good situation. Paved roads and traffic Paving streets, low-income housing Open Ended Responses 6 Telephone and Online Survey What is the most important issue facing Tigard? Police Department needs more room. Poor water at very high cost!1!l I I I I I Condition of Hall Blvd that leads to city hall, library, police, etc. Population growth (5) Potholes (3) Preparing for the influx of traffic. We need to discuss a plan to bring MAX down to Tigard, not just WES. Preserve the wetlands Probably traffic, but two weeks ago I would have said snow removal. Promoting commerce and funding without over taxing it residents. Oh,jury is out on question 1. Property development. Too much in city Property taxes Prudent fiscal spending based on strategic goals instead of chasing every flavor of the month. Public safety(2) Public transportation (7) Real estate values. Recreation Redeveloping downtown to attract local residents to invest in Tigard's downtown Redirect resources away from walkability and focus on core services(street and park maintenance) Rent prices (3) Responsibly managing growth.Traffic is already congested; not many options for improving traffic flow. Downtown Tigard needs to be ready to take advantage of redevelopment that is likely to result from light rail construction. Revitalizing downtown. It's currently filled with empty or run-down buildings (the bike store,for example) and not many shops to browse in or restaurants to eat at. Roads (29) Roads and jobs Roads and school problems Roads and sidewalks Safe pedestrian and bicycle access to jobs,goods, and services. Safe routes to school Open Ended Responses 7 Telephone and Online Survey What is the most important issue facing Tigard? Safe sidewalks that link neighborhoods to schools are sometimes nonexistent (e.g., Fonner near Fowler Middle School). Sidewalks that link neighborhoods to retail areas need to be improved (e.g., 121st Avenue between Gaarde and Walnut, McDonald St. between Hall Blvd. and Hwy 99). Better paths and walking options might help reduce the traffic on Hwy 99. Safety School funding(2) Schools improved Seems like the only focus is the walkability. Senior issues Shortage of easements for trails on dead-end streets Smart growth Smart growth. Developing high-density, mixed-income residential areas,while providing the necessary infrastructure to move people in and out of the city. Stagnant downtown area and business growth Storm drains aren't cleaned out causing floods and when it snows handicap parking spaces are covered in ice so it a slip hazard Street improvements and traffic safety. Street maintenance (5) Streets and development of housing Streets are gaining more and more potholes and areas that are crumbling. Also, more and more housing is being built without streets being widened and made able to handle more& more traffic that the increase in population is causing. Stronger local economy Struggling finding employment. More jobs in the area would be nice Surviving Trump presidency Sustainable growth to bring new,young families into the city. Taking advantage of light rail development in the Tigard triangle and downtown. Taxes (5) That's too big of a question to answer The ability for people to use active transportation to safely and easily get around Tigard--gaps in the sidewalk and bike lane network on major roads;crosswalks on one side of an intersection only; bike lanes that disappear; no safe routes to Fowler for the neighborhoods surrounding it; bike lanes and Open Ended Responses 8 Telephone and Online Survey What is the most important issue facing Tigard? sidewalk routes that force people to take a circuitous route to their destination; no crosswalks or enforcement of non-marked crosswalks. The attack on vehicular transit, parking and other modes of simply getting your family in/around town by the Development Director, City Manager and Council. The city pushing Max is not a good idea The economy is to be improved The elderly The election of Donald Trump. The fact that our city council and mayor are emulating the leadership of Portland by advocating light rail and high-density housing that will ruin the small-town character of our city. The growth The roads after the Snowmageddon are atrocious. You can't hardly go ten feet without swerving to miss gigantic potholes. I was very disappointed after the so called "paving" in 2016 near the police station- the section of road near the Fanno creek bridge is what really needed paving and the potholes weren't even filled in! The roads are in terrible shape. Tigard spent way too much money for the downtown reconstruction. The schools The stated Tigard goal of being the most walkable city is off track. First, I doubt those involved in this goal really grasp what that would entail-have you ever been to completely walkable towns in Europe? Have you ever ridden a bike/walked through the streets/paths&converted railroad beds in the town of Boulder? Do you really want "walkability" to be the driver for the town of Tigard?What percentage of major roads &all roads/streets in Tigard even have sidewalks? What crime issues are the most pressing? Why are so many kids at Fowler at risk when walking to school if this is really the town's goal?! Get the goal right, as you haven't so far The updating the city and preparing it for the future and a higher population. There has to be found a way to get some relief on Highway 99 as far as traffic-wise. I know that it won't be easy, but something has to be done. They have forgotten what the people need, not the people who think they are in charge. The little people are the ones that matter. They need more places to eat, and better food. This question is confusing. Headed in the right direction of? Tigard may be heading in the right direction for Tigard, but not for me. Every time I look at my property tax statement, or the cost of services in Tigard I am reminded that I need to move. City and county services average out to more than $10 per day, $325+ per month. It's getting a little out of hand and I am tired of funding other people's "visions." Open Ended Responses 9 Telephone and Online Survey What is the most important issue facing Tigard? To provide more affordable housing for folks. A safe place to call one's own can be a beginning towards becoming a good citizen. To connect with the homeless, listen to their stories of how they came to be so, and provide services. Too many homes being built Too many new homes,concerns me in regards to overcrowded schools. Too many people and cost of living is making it impossible for families to stay where they have grown, Tigard! Rent is going up by hundreds of dollars and people are forced to move and or move in with family. People have worked so hard to live on their own, losing their independence just because they can't afford rent is miserable. Child care costs just as much as rent. Food costs more, Internet is basically a requirement for families with children in school. Someone needs to stand for the "regular working families" of Tigard. I grew up here and don't want to move away! HELP Too many subdivisions and apartments are being allowed to be built. This is putting too many vehicles on our roads (which cannot be widened, by the way), and are putting too many kids into our already busting at the seams schools! In short: too much traffic and overcrowding of the schools! Too many taxes Too much growth Too much money wasted on art and not its infrastructure. Too much new homes, development,etc. Too much population Torn up roads with several potholes and lack of sidewalks.Traffic Traffic(mentioned 160 times) I appreciate the focus on walking and look forward to progress on light rail. Focus on jobs located in Tigard, along with affordable housing is also important. Traffic(in particular commuters who travel through Tigard) and perception of some that Tigard is mostly 99W/Barbur,which is generally packed with cars,dangerous for pedestrians and bikers, and doesn't leave a good impression of the town. Improvements around 217 have helped, and need to continue when can. Traffic flow-includes synchronizing lights (Put a variable left-turn signal at the top of 72nd and Hunziker!),fixing potholes, keep things moving. Making reasonable accommodations/permits/zoning for new housing types (such as ADUs or small cottages on larger properties). Protect the environment(air, water,wetlands,and trees). Includes better maintenance of the Fanno Creek Trail.Trim vegetation,fix asphalt. Traffic&crime Traffic along 99W and road conditions (potholes). Traffic and a grocery store.These two things really impact livability. Open Ended Responses 10 Telephone and Online Survey What is the most important issue facing Tigard? Traffic and community development Traffic and crime Traffic and homeless/panhandlers coming in from Portland Traffic and homelessness Traffic and housing costs! Traffic and housing. Traffic and lack of public transit. Traffic and over development. Traffic and population increasing Traffic and room for growth Traffic and street repair Traffic and the influx of new apartment buildings and the removal of trees and green space Traffic and too many"leaders" Traffic control. It relates to everything, quality of life, business success, biker, walker&family safety, and so much more. Traffic flow, support local business, people-friendly building department Traffic flow. Light rail and bicycle lanes only hinder traffic flow. Traffic is horrible all day no matter time or day of the week 99W is especially bad and very frustrating. We need better highway systems.And how about we start having bicyclists start helping with this through registration or user fees since they now get their own lane on any road improvement? Traffic, affordable housing, improving downtown, managing growth correctly Traffic, and not enough police presents on areas of concern and mine is benchview from greenfild to bull mountain. Traffic, density issues with all the new and denser housing developments being blended into older neighborhoods. Traffic, homelessness, poverty Traffic, new housing developments causing even more Traffic,quality sports/recreation facilities... you need to turf all of Cook Park Fields (soccer baseball and softball) Traffic, raising property taxes, huge houses on small lots. How about one-stories for older people?Trash. Traffic,traffic pollution, overpopulation. Open Ended Responses 11 Telephone and Online Survey What is the most important issue facing Tigard? Traffic! Please create more sidewalks and complete trails to walk. Traffic. 99 is lacking good eating establishments and needs a grocery store in between Fred Meyer and Safeway.Would like to attract better business establishments other than tire, oil change, and public storage. Downtown Tigard is improving. If you haven't already,go check out the town of Willamette. Great mix of community establishments with an attractive curb appeal. Would be nice if builders would be required to put in a park or two. It's very sad that hasn't been a priority. Traffic. How can the existing infrastructure be expanded/improved to accommodate our growing city that primarily relies on cars? Traffic.Two-lane roadways. Housing costs. Trails &Sidewalks Light Rail needed Transportation (19) Transportation -infrastructure and ability to improve movement through the city. Transportation and population growth Transportation and public education Transportation circulation and providing housing stock that is also available for low-income. Transportation infrastructure to handle the current and continued growth. Transportation issue of those passing through our city making it difficult for those that live in the city. Transportation, light rail connection Transportation:traffic, public transit,walkability and how they all tie together. Transportation.The traffic in Tigard and most of the metro area is horrendous. Steps must be taken to alleviate this. I left to LA area over a decade ago, a big reason being traffic congestion. I believe the traffic issues,although on a smaller scale, are just as bad here now. Upgrading streets and sidewalks Urban growth Utilizing the downtown area Very crowded schools Walkability of our area. Walkability, Livability and community growth. Waste Water issue is important, schools, private issue with transportation. Water prices Open Ended Responses 12 Telephone and Online Survey What is the most important issue facing Tigard? Water/sewer expense! We don't need the added taxes of Westside light rail(that won't even stop in Tigard?!)or a "THPRD" - let the private sector do it. We need a parks and rec system We need more police officers! We need more sidewalks We need to improve downtown Tigard,and make it more of a destination. We should NOT have light rail in Tigard. The congestion and crime would be unbearable! With all the new housing going in on Hall and the proposed housing on 79th,the traffic flow near Durham Elementary School is going to continue to get worse. It is so hard to get in and out of that school in the mornings and afternoons,so without a turn signal at that intersection, I can't imagine how much worse it is going to be. Wish the city would address that issue. Would like to see a full-function rec center Would like to see more community updates to downtown and all along 99. Would also like to see more community events for families and children to enjoy. Open Ended Responses 13 Telephone and Online Survey The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? Add fees for developers All I know is my property taxes are steadily climbing and it's not sustainable. However, I do recognize that the cost of government is going up and we cannot expect the same level of services. What I don't understand is how we are experiencing a decline in tax revenue since property taxes are increasing as the value of homes and land rise. I feel this needs to be explained CLEARLY to the citizens so we can see that in fact, we are experiencing a revenue gap. The bottom line is taxes cannot outpace the citizens' ability to pay for them. All the revenue from new housing Allow citizens to view what services would be cut As much fun as family recreation opportunities are, it seems that churches,schools, and other organizations have a huge variety of activities. Perhaps let that part of the budget go?You have a tough job and I appreciate the hard decisions you have to make! Ask for$5 more local option levy Ask the residents opinions before cutting services. Asking for more improvement on the code enforcement service and police services Assure dedicated funds are used specifically and directly for that. I.e. Water revenue should be used for water maintenance or upgrades.Same for streets,storm and sanitary sewers.The general fund should assure funds are used to provide service to resident's not special pencils,cups,jackets,vehicles etc. with a department name. In other words cut the fluff. Avoid large expensive long projects that can have cost overruns. Focus on small steps that are each individually cost effective,where benefits can be seen quickly. Balance budget stricter Balance taxes across city services Balance the budget Be as efficient as possible and raise taxes very little, if needed Be cautious in considering raising taxes too much since so many people are struggling in paying rent. Tigard has their share of homeless. Be creative in researching, identifying and tapping alternative funding sources. Be fiscally responsible!! Be more responsible with how spending community money Be sure to reach out until you have equal representation (gender, race, social class etc.) on committees that have authority to speak into decision making. Be transparent in ALL you do. Invite Input.Attempt input many times before making decisions which would require a proactive approach and not a reactive approach. Become more efficient with the money they receive Open Ended Responses 1 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? Become more efficient, become better businessmen. Before raising taxes/fees make it clear to the public exactly what services are under consideration for change. As senior citizens, our income is NOT going up. Money we spend must be budgeted;and what that money is spent on must be a necessary thing in life. Boy, I wish I had lived here longer. I used to live in Troutdale, and had a pulse of what was going on, and would have an educated answer.That being said,tell the truth,the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. There is no wiggle room in that statement. I would make sure all of the workers are giving an honest day's work,for an honest day's pay. I would tap into your retired citizens. In Troutdale,the Mayor called me,and asked for my help,which I did.The mayor of Tigard has not called me for help. So my answer above, if we need to raise taxes,so be it. Budget the money better Budget the money they have coming in more wisely Build a bigger library Build a rec center Building community means reaching out to community.Stay committed to small biz, local, and smart planning and we'll give you what you need. Businesses need to cut the check. Carefully evaluate the needs for all Tigard citizens and don't be afraid to raise taxes Carefully study what cuts would cause the least disruption. Find less costly ways to provide services. Charge the developers more (2) Collect fines for illegally parked cars,junk in yards,fireworks,sidewalks not maintained and other code violations. Raise some money and get things fixed. Combination of both of raising revenue and cutting services. Communication with residents is key. I was so sad at the poor campaign waged to support the light rail (which I supported). I thought the city did a terrible job of making its case. It takes more than a few signs or editorials in the newspaper.Take out ads, billboards, hand out flyers,go to street corners with signs, and use social media wisely. Help people understand why you need the money, and they'll support it. Concentrate tax money to areas of heavy population Consider carefully what you choose to cut and make sure it's something that fewer people use and make sure that the things that are used by the majority of citizens are kept intact. Consider future investments vs. immediate payoffs. As a young family living in Tigard, we want to stay here long term and see the city grow with more families like us. It seems that's not possible if we're only building homes in the 400,000+ range and cutting social services. Consistency Construction takes too long and should be done at night. It ties up traffic during the day. Open Ended Responses 2 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? Continuing to tax more is one way to get the budget for all of these programs. I use some of the services mentioned in this survey while others I never will use. I don't want my taxes to raise for services that I don't use but also want to live in a community that provides opportunities for people of all walks of life. It would be great if there was a way to opt-in for the services that I use and vote on that. For instance, I love the libraries services but would not use the local kids athletic programs. Could not say right now Cut"youth" programs as they do not serve the general population in the same way that parks, road maintenance, and the library does. Cut administration salaries, and council's salaries Cut any and all welfare services so people will go back to work.Stop letting more and more people move here. There is too much traffic and people as it is. I pay over$3300 in taxes. 1/3rd goes to Tigard school system which we don't use.Why can't we pay for the services we actually use. I'm getting ripped off just because I live in Tigard.The land gets assessed at a higher value then I get a bill for more escrow. I'm being taxed out of my house and will have to move in the next couple years. Stop letting anyone vote on new bond/tax measures when they don't pay tax. Only taxpayers should be allowed to vote on tax measures. Cut in the areas not needed. Parks? Cut into the less needed items and try to maintain the important programs Cut out the bloat or find money elsewhere other than raising taxes. Cut Parks& Rec program, reduce wasteful spending. Make citizens pay for the services they use: library, park& rec,seniors... Cut programs Cut programs and services that are useless or not needed because there is a difference between want and need Cut recreation Cut recreation. Redirect money spent on walkability. Enough already with the downtown "improvements." Cut salaries for city workers, be more efficient with taxes Cut services Cut services and lower taxation Cut some of the politicians from the staff in Tigard. Cut some of the upper jobs in the city Cut spending on parks,etc. Keep our neighborhoods safe and maintain police presence. Too many drug- deals/homeless hanging around parks etc.to feel we can safely walk after dark. Open Ended Responses 3 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? Cut spending on unnecessary services and beautification projects like the pink sculpture at Main Street. Streamline the permitting process and make it attractive for new revenue producing businesses to come to Tigard.Tualatin & Beaverton are consistently attracting new businesses,Tigard isn't! Cut taxes and demonstrate a willingness to increase service before conducting a survey like this which is obviously an attempt to generate tax increases. Cut the nonessential programs Cut the right services Cut the services Cut the services,taxes are already high Cut waste Cut wasteful spending Cutting any services relating to children would not be a good idea. Distribute money better Do a better job Do a better job because at our current situation,we aren't doing anything that's moving us in the right direction Do a combination of using what we have more effectively and efficient and if necessary raise taxes Do all you can to find additional sources of revenue-grants,etc? Do it fairly Do more economic development! Downtown Tigard could be really cool.The defunct Hagen shopping center has no anchor tenant. Do not cut library services.They have never been needed more. Do not cut transportation Do not increase property taxes Do not increase taxes. Do not need to buy all these open spaces if can't maintain them. Be wiser spending your money. Do not worry about global or regional issues; do not get involved in pet projects. Tigard has a lot of immediate needs that need focus. We are about to build a $2.6B light rail project to favor developers, but it won't address congestion or walking access at all. Our city will be encumbered with this huge pet project for years,and we still will slog on our streets because there is no real alternative. Do the best they can (5) Open Ended Responses 4 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? Don't ask more of taxpayers. We suffer enough with Obamacare increases and only working part-time jobs. Make your dollars go further. We have to do it. Why can't the city get creative and generate some income instead of always spending ours? Don't build tall buildings downtown. Easy on the water bill taxes. Don't cut certain programs.The reason for that is, if takes away a program that a lot really enjoyed,then that just kills the opportunity that person has to express him or herself. Don't cut education funding,or active transportation funding! Don't look for local problems and growth Don't raise taxes Don't waste money Double check figures Educate the electorate to explain the situation and continue to sharpen your pencils especially given the expected continued growth. If you can't grow the pie everyone should get a smaller slice! Encourage city decision makers to seek some third party review of services and expenses. For example I'd like to know if proposed development is paying a fair share of identifying and mitigating traffic problems caused by approved (e.g., River Terrace) development and expected development. End the corruption and find better ways Energy/Carbon tax on gasoline, electricity, propane, natural gas, and heating oil will raise revenue and encourage conservation. Similarly for a water consumption tax. Enough money spend wisely no taxes Enough taxpayer money for Main Street/Downtown Tigard: Re-appropriate those funds for the rest of the city. Evaluate the efficiency of current systems and implement changes before asking for more money. Evaluate the services being offered and redirect revenue to the most important areas. A strong library program reflects well on a community. Safe walking sidewalks (not necessarily paths but actual sidewalks)that link neighborhoods to schools and retail options are important for the safety of Tigard's children and the reduction of car emissions and congestion. Clearly there were funds earmarked in recent years to improve Tigard's Main Street. While some cosmetic improvement to storefronts is evident, it's disappointing that the new planter areas have disrupted parking for local businesses. The "tulips" at either end of the street and bicycle racks are ugly. Really--who thought of using pink, orange and turquoise? Are we channeling the Southwest? And the glass balls on the street lights are tacky. Why didn't you go with flowering pots? Would have been much more classy. Take a cue from Tualatin and Lake Oswego. Evaluate to see if services can be cut back without affecting the quality of life and safety. If they still need additional funds they should raise taxes for business and residents alike. Evaluate where to do the best Open Ended Responses S Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? Every year the same thing is said. Everybody work together in best interests of the people. Fees based on use. Gas taxes for road maintenance fees. Bicycle taxes. Use of pubic building space to increase revenues.Arts support Find a way to deliver services within the budget. Find a way to make the money go further, by reducing any inefficiencies within the budgets. Find innovative solutions using the latest technology to find ways to cut expenditures. Find other methods to meet the deficit. Find out which services are most important to certain residents to the greatest number. Then maintain those at the current level Find revenue without raising taxes Find some places where you are wasting money. Find something to cut to balance budget Find the areas under funded and try to figure out why? Find ways to cut costs Find ways to lower water bill Finding another way without raising taxes First,ask yourself if the service(s) in question are necessary,or properly the responsibility of Tigard to provide;second,for those services that are necessary,determine if you are getting the best value for my tax dollars;third, consider if some of the services could be provided more economically and/or with better accountability via the private sector;and last, look at the possibility that some City assets could be sold and then leased back- benefits include rent that may be less expensive than debt service, maintenance and repairs AND the new owners will immediately become liable for payment of property taxes that help support the services about which you claim concern. Thank you. Fix and improved all the city services Fix the water prices Focus on basics of safety and accessibly and cut services Focus on core services first. Don't chase all opportunities at once. Be strategic. Focus on maintaining existing services rather than on new initiatives Focus on the best quality services along with best quality. Focus on the top priority issues. Forget about light rail Get more repairs finished Open Ended Responses 6 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? Get new leaders first Get rid of the waste that it now has and put that money to better use. Get rid of waste in the department. People that get paid more and don't do much work Go ahead and do what they need to do Go to the capitol and tell them to raise the sales tax to pay for services. Good luck, I'm glad I don't have your job. Government spending is notoriously ineffective. Do not allow ANY"use it or lose it" policies. Cut spending across each department by 5%as a base starting point. Extend the number of years each city vehicle is used. Stop buying so many different types of cars&get a bulk quantity discount on new vehicles & reduce maintenance expenses by standardizing down significantly to fewer types of vehicles. Demand a 5%cost reduction from all vendors (Toyota does it all the time). Stretch out payment terms to vendors by 15 days. Don't use union labor. Cut payroll by reducing overtime(outside of police &city workers who deal with storm cleanup) by 50%. Always put out for bid & require three quotes. Use marketing to increase the occupancy rate of business buildings in the city. Finalize a deal to build housing on Oak Street&get a public play park(cleaned by the new building owner) installed. Grandfather clause Great services cost money so as long as funds are being spent responsibly, I think tax raises are a necessary evil. P.S. Murdock needs a sidewalk!Those school buses go too fast and there are too many kids that walk down it to get to and from school to not have a sidewalk. :) Handle the money properly Have be more even based on what you make Higher tax on builders who develop but then don't help improve or build new streets. How about a little of both? I am confident that the city can generate the revenue and they will do a good job with it. I hope they will not choose to cut needed services. I am very concerned with the state of the economy and the current Administration in Washington. I would be very concerned with raising taxes until we see how the economy will be affected. I would like at other ways to raise the money other than property taxes. I am willing to pay more if the city continues to provide a high-level of service, and continues to improve the livability, and appeal of living in Tigard. I support efforts to make the city more walkable and to revitalize downtown Tigard. Our access to tennis courts is embarrassing,and Tigard High School's courts are a hazard. Please improve access to courts. I appreciate the attitude in trying to improve the downtown area. I believe the funds can be readjusted in the budget to make ends meet. I believe there's enough money and leaders should use it responsibly.Tigard is a great community and our leaders are better than others but there's also room for improvement. Open Ended Responses 7 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? I don't think the city do not have the resident's interests, have their own agendas,and it's time to fix this. I don't understand what a population increase of 10% has to do with Tigard's ability to maintain services. Doesn't a population increase of 10%translate to a tax base increase of 10%? It seems to me that the real problem is the City of Tigard might be increasing their spending at a higher rate than their constituents' incomes. I don't have the numbers to verify this, but if that is the case, it seems to me that the City should reign in their spending. Disappointed that that idea isn't even considered in this survey. I guess raise taxes.We don't really need the library. So cut that. I have mixed feelings about this. But I believe that in order to maintain a community feeling,the city needs to invest in community building activities and services. Finding the correct things to invest in, like community policing, can help build a community and trust making Tigard a better place to live. I love this city and the things that this city does.The parks,open spaces, and libraries are my main concern, but others will have different priorities. We need to maintain our programs and services, possibly even expand them as we continue to grow. I think before raising taxes they should evaluate current services to possibly reallocate funds in different directions,we need to reevaluate how we are spending I think it really should be only slightly if taxes increase. I think it would depend on the services that they intend to cut back on I think that city leaders need an understanding of all the services provided by Tigard.The population knows why police and the library are important, but may not understand the need or importance of other lesser-known programs like recreation or safe routes to school,and people don't realize things like the impact cutting parks funding would not have on the community and the environment. My hope would be instead of cutting an entire service or program,the city can cut a smaller portion of all services.This way all services still exits. I also think that if you're going to make a new tax to help fund a program,that revenue needs to go to that program. For example,the Parks& Recreation fee is very misleading because it does not directly help fund parks or recreation. Rather it goes into the general fund to help alleviate some of the other services. If the city wants to raise taxes or create another fee, please make it clear what these funds are going towards. I think the City of Tigard should do better outreach in educating and informing the Tigard residents about what services and programs are available and how the city is administering its various programs. Also, be transparent about Tigard's challenges in delivering those services, programs and notifications. I know we have a website, but it's not usually top of mind to be consulting it. Perhaps push notifications via voluntary email submissions or a Tigard flyer? I know we used to get the Cityscape(?)to inform us, but many still are not online and I do understand the costs associated with that avenue. I think they need a new business auditor to prevent wasteful spending, a financial advisor I think they need to realize these services are vital.Those who can afford taxes should be increased I think they should do right with the money they have I will support raising taxes only for quality of life issues such as sidewalk and trail improvements, a community recreation center, and municipal parks and recreation programs. Open Ended Responses 8 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? I would have to look at the current services like parks and city services. I would pay more taxes to get better roads and sidewalks everywhere. It's nuts that there's no sidewalks near Fowler on walnut and on 121st Ave. also, Hall is covered in potholes. Let's actually FIX the roads. I would prefer to raise taxes then cut services. I would raise taxes.Obviously if population increases they put more wear and tear on our roads and should pay more. I would say to focus on the community. I'm not sure about Beaverton and Sherwood's tax rates but seems as though they have more available to their residents and more eye-appealing and growth-orientated futuristic goal in mind than Tigard. Tigard looks old and rundown compared to them. I'm not sure I understand how a significant increase in population does not increase the taxes that the city receives. There are many new homes, apartments, neighborhoods, businesses,wouldn't these all contribute to the increase in taxes that would come with the increased population? I would like services to not decline and I hesitate to say I would be agreeable to additional taxes to just maintain the current service levels. If additional taxes are needed, I think a strong marketing campaign that explains why would be necessary. Thanks for asking my opinion! I'm not sure of the ranking of the services needed to improve. Keep fire, police service I'm sure that the city has enough budget to make changes I'm very impressed with what has been done in the city, and proud to be a resident the past 25 years. Raising taxes is always difficult,especially with the impact it has on the many seniors(and even the families)that live here. I have trust in how the city is managed, but would prefer a very cautious approach to either cutting services or raising taxes. Identify areas where increased efficiency and optimization can occur to make funds go further. Try to increases taxes on those making use of the services most if possible. Consider cutting programs that are ineffective or unnecessary. If core services may have to be cut due to finance decreases we should definitely not be thinking of how to pay for light rail which would truly not affect all of Tigard. If population increased by 10%, why was there no a proportional increase in revenue? Rather than add additional taxes,find out why revenue did not expand with population and find a solution. Based on the paragraph above, citizens of the City of Tigard can expect to see either increased taxes or decreased service as the population expands. Rationally, one would expect that "many hands make work light" and that fixed costs would be spread across more citizens. If what you are saying is correct,then it is in the best interest of existing city residents to oppose any growth in the city. Is that what you are hoping to advocate? In addition,the joint water project has been a fiscal burden without any evidence of long term benefit for the citizens. My total cost for water has increased 400%in the last decade and my water rate surpasses that of my relatives in Tucson,Arizona. If population increased wouldn't tax revenue increase as well?? If the population has increased by 10%,why haven't the revenues increased? Open Ended Responses 9 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? If the population has increased that would mean more revenue has been (and should be)taken in by the City from those new residents. While inflation exists, I would like to see taxes raised on renters or owners of rental properties. It seems these people pay less for the services that are provided because they don't pay property taxes like everyone else. If the population is increasing shouldn't the tax base increase as well? Perhaps cutting back on the'pet projects' of the downtown area, let the free market drive development in that area and focus on better maintaining and improving public safety and traffic mitigation. if the population is increasing,then property and other taxes should also increase. So the above statement doesn't make sense If the population of Tigard has increased,then it would make sense that tax revenue from those people have allowed revenue to increase in conjunction. I would like to understand why tax revenue never seems to be enough. My perception is that typical of most government organizations,the ability to manage a budget and prioritize spending is lacking. I am open to the possibility that I don't fully understand how it's done today, but as of now, perception is reality. If the taxes are raised for residents you will put already high rent/mortgage even higher. This is at a time when residents are barely making ends meet as it is. If there are underutilized programs, explore reducing costs in those programs but otherwise raise taxes to cover programs that benefit this community. If they have to, raise taxes If you decide to raise taxes, be very specific about where the money will be going,and what it will be doing. Be as transparent as you can. Inform us well in advance,several times, of what is going to happen and why. Many people don't read everything they get in the mail (obviously). If you stop permitting rampant development within the city,we wouldn't be worrying about maintaining programs and services. Don't allow more building of homes and apartments until you have the infrastructure to handle it.The new housing on Hall Blvd. will be an additional nightmare and yet another main thoroughfare to avoid. Spending half a million dollars on those fading"hazelnuts"to draw attention to downtown Tigard was the most wasteful, foolhardy thing the city has done since the overly done, unnecessary"beautification" of Burnham Street. Those monstrosities do call attention to Main Street, but only negatively. I don't recall voting for those"improvements". Was that considered just pocket change and not worth discussing with the Tigard residents? Improve efficiency(2) Improve water system Improving downtown Tigard is a total joke and waste of money. Sherwood as a comparison is nuts. It had a charm.Tigard is a sidebar on Pacific Highway. The library is too fancy but I use the heck out of the basic services. Waste Management referred me to the city of Tigard to request increase in yard debris pickup. Yards in my area are huge and every other week is insane,yet the misc. bin is emptied weekly? Crazy. I have been to a meeting at City Hall and could not believe the disrespect shown to the public. Your road maps are out of date and city employees will not listen to reason or look at photos of areas under dispute. Some of us actually have brains. Open Ended Responses 10 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? In bad times we all have to learn how to make cuts. Raising taxes,especially people who live in Summerfield on fixed incomes would be incredibly difficult. You'd be penalizing the same people who probably benefit for a lot of the current services to the point where they might lose their homes or their ability to stay in their current homes. For all the other taxpayers, incomes have largely stayed the same and people still have the issues of under-employment or non-employment(past unemployment insurance). Bringing in new taxes from River Terrace is a plus, but increasing the current tax load on existing homeowners will make life harder. It's not a choice that anyone wants to make (to make cuts), but I think it will be more beneficial to the citizens than the alternative of increasing taxes on an already stressed population. Increase funding for police and fire stop wasting money on "art", redesigns of downtown streets, and the library Increase permit fees for builders. Tax revenue is misspent on stupid things like Burnham road, or a sidewalk on Hinziker, where I have never seen anyone walk. The city looks like crap for the amount of taxes paid per year. Increase taxes Increase taxes and development fees to new developments to account for the increased service costs of adding the population to the city. Increase taxes gradually Increase taxes on businesses (2) Increase the efficiency of employees. Increasing city tax would be ok as long as it was gradually increased. Increasing the taxes will not improve the services,find a way to use the money properly that they already have Instead of trying to form our own recreation department, why not join THPRD (Tualatin Hills Park and Rec). The city hall and police buildings appear to need to be replaced. This should be a priority. Accountability for how the current funds are being spent prior to raising any taxes. Is the city infrastructure in place in regards to police and public works services for the new River Terrace Area? It appears to be a large undertaking, but I don't see a lot of hiring notices. Invest in volunteers and coordinator for manual and administrative work. Take the weight off of taxpayers. Operate more like your competing with an outside business. Remove underperforming employees. Set up a waste,fraud and abuse program to find where dollars are bleeding out into nowhere and fix the problem. It seems to me that programs and services could be better managed for a maximum operating level. I think we need to pay a little more attention to all of Tigard and not just Main Street. And hopefully we won't see any more storage units going up when what we really need are affordable housing. It should take a hard review of current programs to determine if all are still actually needed and/or performing as intended, not just existing through "inertia." At that point, it should consider raising taxes to make up any shortfall. Open Ended Responses 11 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? It Tigard's population has grown by 10%should not the tax revenue from these people have grown accordingly?Should not the economies of scale prevail? If not, please help us and explain why. Are we becoming a destination for those who tend not to pay taxes? If so that puts an unfair burden on those of us who do. It's hard to understand why there's not enough funding. With more residences,there should be a proportional increase in tax revenue. I think this needs to be explained to Tigard residents before we can give informed advice. Just make sure they're running efficiently Less paperwork, more direct services to residents Let's think outside the box about how to increase revenue and make sure our expenses are efficient and the right choices Limit budget Live in their means Live within your means. Stop paving roads that don't need to be paved and pay more attention to those roads that are full of chuck holes, like Hall Blvd. Stop creating mosquito ponds by insisting upon inclusion of wetlands at places like St.Anthony's. Stop destroying neighborhoods and devaluing home owner's property with so called improvements such as the one that you're destroying on Walnut Street. Traffic was never a big problem on Walnut. "Improving"that street is a huge waste of taxpayer dollars. Look at all departments and breakdown cost breakdown. Look at budgets wisely and carefully to see where logical cuts could be made. Prioritize safety of citizens and welfare of businesses. But light rail is NOT a solution,just brings more problems to the table. Look at how the funds are currently distributed and find ways to make cuts or move money that won't cut services. Require that builders doing new construction do more improvements and pay more to the city for the increased population or STOP building. Look at raising taxes Look at the budget and higher priorities Look at the budget more closely Look into federal funding.Talk to Nike. Large businesses in the area. Look to businesses and fund raisers Maintain essential services such as police,emergency management,and public works related to road maintenance without any cuts. These are critical to our safety and must be maintained. Focus your attention on fostering community involvement to bring in volunteers to assist as much as possible.The more people are involved and feel connected the better our City will be. Maintain most important services to safety and if cuts are made make them to recreation Maintain the services (2) Open Ended Responses 12 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? Make a reasoned request for gas taxes. Portland's just went up so there is room for Tigard's to increase. Those who drive on our roads should pay, not all residents via utility assessments. For recreation, user fees should apply with reduced fees for low income residents. Make apartment buildings pay more in taxes since it's cost and arm and a leg to rent or find an apartment to rent. Make better decisions and find out where the money is going Make better use of available funds to fund necessary services. Do not raise taxes in general.Some specific taxes/fees might be acceptable. Make conscientious decisions, no more taxes. Make cut to less important services Make cuts Make equal cuts across the board. Make it clear to voters why the tax(es) are needed (10%growth etc.) and spell out clearly what no new taxes mean. Make the pitch personal, so it's harder to say'no' (personal stories,etc.). Try to aim pitch for additional taxes at many segments of the population so it's harder to say"that doesn't affect me". Cross fingers. Make sure new buildings have the crosswalks and added lanes and help pay for the new schools. Make sure that businesses like marijuana,vape stores, bars, etc. pay additional taxes as these are extras in a person's life and not necessary. They should pay more. Make sure the new taxes go to some of the educational needs. Make sure they cut the right things Make the best use of funds. Move past downtown rehab, light rail,etc... Improve what's needed...roads, safety, etc. Make use of all land owned by the city Make wise choices as to what to support with taxpayer money. Special interest ideas used by very few should not be priority. Avoid using taxpayer money for projects that involve five men standing around watching two others work, all at 'prevailing wage'.That makes me crazy. I do not get to watch others work while earning my paycheck. I do not believe my tax money should go to pay high wage jobs for low skill and education work done by city/county/state/union employees. If they went to college and/or have highly technical skills,that is one thing. Seek out small local companies willing to work for fair contract pay to take on the city's projects. We are a progressive family of four, my husband and I work over full time and don't have much extra at the end of each month, but we are willing to spend a bit more to shop local and do what is right. We have been in the same modest 1800 sq ft home in Tigard for 25 years and our property tax has risen over$4,000 per year! How did this happen?We vote 'yes'to almost all bond measures etc. because we believe it is our duty to support our community. But our wages are not rising in proportion! Manage their money better, quit frivolous projects and privatize services Open Ended Responses 13 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? Maybe cut out some services if have to or if can't get money, prioritize services Monitor on what they spend. No more taxes More job creates more income, more taxes More or higher business tax. Re-try the gas tax with better language in the voters' pamphlet. More people should already equal more tax revenue.The city needs to use its revenue more efficiently, not seek to tax residents more. More population means more revenue so spend money wisely More property taxes should be flowing in from the additional homes built and current property values go up at least 3%a year.The inflation rate has been relatively low. Something doesn't add up.Tigard needs to live within its means. More resources are needed to fund our SMALL police force,there are only a small number of officers enforcing the laws within our city and crime is on the rise along with the population increase. More needs to be done to keep Tigard citizens safe. More transparency and information sharing with citizens.The City's website and mailers could be improved to describe the issues and what is needed to address them. Examples,pictures,graphs,etc. Make it visual, and present it in simple terms that won't require a lot of time. Occasionally repeating these issues with different examples will help the City's citizens understand the importance of these issues. My priorities would be public safety, libraries and open spaces.To approve new taxes I would want to know a few things. Why hasn't the tax revenue increased at the same rate as population?Which programs would be affected by a cut and what would the cuts look like? For instance, I didn't mind when the library was closed on Thursdays. My taxes have gone up over 10% in that same time for a no additional services. Need more funds for transportation. Need to be more efficient with tax dollars Need to go over budget and find where the spending is causing shortfall Need to look at the bottom line, and find cuts Need to raise taxes and first of all help get people off the streets. If everyone had somewhere to live, and had jobs,there would be more revenue. Need to raise taxes on citizens New rental construction should be taxed more. New residence should pay also No more franchise fees. These are hidden taxes that no one knows about or votes on! No more raises in taxes,work it out another way Open Ended Responses 14 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? No more taxes Not all programs and services have the necessity of the others. Re-prioritize and present something digestible,while maintaining light rail is imperative to the livability of Tigard. Not sure what all the services the city provides, but I think an evaluation to determine what we need to provide, at what level, and what can be provided another way. But not a big expensive study. Not to increase salaries of councilmen and women Not to raise any taxes Not to spend on statues and highway beauty Operate more efficiently,and as a last resort, raise taxes Optimize current revenue streams Our tax rate has some wiggle room. Go ahead and increase taxes. Pay for that with the 10%more people People want to feel safe in their homes. Whatever the money goes to, people need to see their money at work. Police presence is seeing your money at work. If the money is being spent on thing to improve the city and we don't see it, put up signs. The signs should advertise, "Your tax dollars at work." People who use the services should help to pay for them. For example,the library fines are only 15 cents per day that a book is late. Increased fines could help pay for the library. People who take advantage would be penalized. People would use the library more if the homeless people weren't hanging out there all day. I can't bring my grandchildren because they get scared. We can't sit at a table in the lobby. Does it take more revenue to make a safer atmosphere for taxpayers? Personally, I don't mind paying more taxes for benefits that are directly or tangentially tangible, or at least transparently explained. I know it can be very hard to lay out how funds are distributed to citizens who may not appreciate that sometimes taxes go to necessary services that aren't glamorous, and some citizens will vehemently disagree with any new taxes regardless of benefit to the community. As long as there's at least some transparency, I'm all for taxes to increase my community's quality of life. Place a fee on metal-studded tires and charge for car parking in downtown Tigard.There is a high environmental cost for free parking. Please keep those who are disenfranchised through disability, poverty, and homelessness on your radar as you make decisions. Please let residents and business owners evaluate what is important to the community-for example tons of resources are being dumped into the Tigard Triangle. I personally see this as a wasted effort as I do not live or travel to this area frequently. I'd like to see more effort being put to revitalize downtown. Get rid of the buildings falling down (the bike shop should be condemned.) Give incentives to businesses like bagel shops,froyo shops,small grocery store, etc. Please make these decisions based on facts (facts about who benefits from services,facts about the costs of services)while making sure the whole community is considered. Keep in mind that low-income Open Ended Responses 15 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? people face barriers to participating in public debates/hearings (working multiple jobs, childcare challenges, language barriers,familiarity with the process,etc.), kids and those with less physical abilities are important constituents who also may not be heard. Plan for the community you want your grandchildren and great grandchildren to inherit. Please stop raising property taxes. Our taxes just went up,for schools for children which we do not have. Schools should be paved for by those who work, or by those who have children in school. Causing those without kids, or retired senior citizens,to pay higher property taxes each year just means we are pushing homeowners out of their homes once they reach retirement age. Please take into account the large variety of economic backgrounds when choosing to raise taxes or cut services that may be keeping some households afloat. Please use our money wisely and keep us informed of how the funds are being used. Police should not be cut.The city needs to attract investors to town through joint ventures with businesses. If cutting services, recreation should be the area to be cut. Prioritize service needs Prioritize the services that the public uses and cut a little from each of the bottom ones. Provide the best services possible with the revenue you have Pursue increased revenue only to the extent necessary and try to protect those businesses and individuals without the capacity to pay more. Quit adding fees to our utility bills.We don't need any more parks. You can't afford to maintain the ones you have and we have plenty. We voted it down to buy land for parks and you made fees and bought the land anyway. Now you want more money to maintain them. You are out taxing and feeing the seniors in your area. Enforce rules, like dog leash laws. I see too many dogs running free and the owners don't get fined.And they poop in our yards and leave it to the home owners to clean up. People running stop signs, if the police ticketed them would bring in more revenue. Where are the police??? At the coffee shop?? Light Rail: We don't need anymore. It just brings problems and trashy people to cities involved. Look at Gresham and Hillsboro! Do you want to destroy our nice little town? Quit wasting money on stuff that is not needed. I can't even walk outside without some bum or non- English-speaking person trying to ask for money. I have had thefts from my yard and vehicles. There are abandoned cars around and trash all over. Get priorities straight, public safety, infrastructure,traffic lights times properly, chains for the expensive school buses, maintaining roads that actually need it. Quit wasting money in art and crap.You don't need more tax money,you need to use what you get properly. Just look how a business runs. Can't waste money and keep expecting everyone to cover it. You're not a drunken sailor, quit spending money like its other peoples money and you don't care. Prices are too damn high in Tigard for water and power.You don't need anymore of my hard-earned money. Raise fees for services needed by residents. Do not raise property taxes. Try the fuel tax, again. Raise revenue (8) Raise revenue. If population is increasing,shouldn't the tax base be doing so somewhat proportionately? Raise tax on gasoline. Raise tax on soda pop. Raise tax tax on beer. Cigs and pot. Open Ended Responses 16 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? Raise taxes(8) Raise taxes and find new ways to raise revenue by encouraging more business Raise taxes appropriately, cut unnecessary programs Raise taxes as opposed to cut them. Raise taxes before cutting services Raise taxes don't cut services Raise taxes for both businesses and residents. Raise taxes on businesses and residents Raise taxes or fees now to keep our city infrastructure functioning well. Make sure our parks and greenways, roads and bridges,sewer and sanitary services are well kept, repaired and not allowed to decline. I am concerned that by keeping taxes too low our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will carry too much of the financial burden to fix our aging infrastructure. Raise taxes to improve walkability and parks and rec Raise taxes to pay for more police, better roads and sidewalks Raise taxes, but need to be careful not to raise too much at once. Raise taxes, but tell everyone why Raise taxes,then! Although, wouldn't one to assume that if 10% more people increased,there would be 10% more taxes being collected? If that's not the case(and it's obviously not since you are asking),do a better job explaining why we need to raise taxes (not just because more people moved in). Provide a clear, concise message why taxes need to be raised and how that will impact programs.Also, showing the impact plays a huge role for folks. So like, if you raise taxes and the library gets some of the money, and buys 500 more books. Most likely, no one will notice that change, and so people get mad and frustrated that taxes were raised but nothing changed. Work towards showing some data-focused results. Before 2009,our police respond time was 3 minutes. Today, due to lack of funding, it's at 8 min (or whatever it is).With your tax dollars,we can ensure that we get back to that 3 min average.Things like that.Taxes can be a good thing-it's about convincing people who are not as "developed" in their civic duties to understand how their contributions help the community. Raise taxes! Please don't cut our services! Raise taxes. I know no one likes this idea, but it's the tough call that needs to be made. Maintaining the level of services is necessary and,with more people and businesses here each year,that can't be done without raising taxes. Seriously,what could you possibly cut?The city doesn't provide a lot of bells and whistles; I really don't see any extravagant expenditures, and there's not a huge city staff. Actually, I'd happily pay more to increase the level of service/staffing to help make our city even better. Raise the money to take care of it Raise the taxes so we can improve the quality of life. Re-evaluate the current spending programs do to excess spending or funding of current programs Open Ended Responses 17 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? Re-look at your budget Re-think and sent out emails asking for options, not everyone can get to meetings and forums. Reassessment of necessary services and the calibration of said services to most effectively meet the needs would be my recommendation. If our city has truly increased in population by nearly 10%,then the city is at least 10%different than it was in 2009. If 1 in 10 residents truly are new to town,then that may merit a bigger adjustment than a general increase of tax or cut of services. Do the hard work. Get to the ground level and dial in a city plan that fits our CURRENT needs. Recreation should not be a priority- people should do that/take care of expenses on their own. It's their own personal choice of recreation. For the City, BASICS FIRST! That means transportation, public safety (police,fire,ambulance), education (including the Library), protection of the environment (air,water, wetlands,trees), and housing(zoning to create more affordable homes, more options). Reduce wasteful spending Rein in the spending Remove the politically-correct "social" departments. Request a modest increase in taxes. Research their budget Safety first. Children second. See if they can get along without raising taxes. Seek input from where your money comes from, residents. Make decisions using the judgement you boasted when elects to your positions to do what's right for the city and its residents. Seek ways to be sure that essential services get priority, and that auditing and control functions keep down waste and duplication as much as possible. Reduce some management positions if necessary. Send letter to residents detailing financial status on each category Send out another survey finding out what services we care most about.Also collect data on usage so our spending correlates to heaviest used services.Also, possibly charge additional costs for those services. Increased residents should also bring more tax revenue. Should not raise more taxes Show fiscal accountability in spending wisely. Listen to those of us who live here-- personally I have not seen common-sense spending that resulted in a good outcome(case in point the downtown project- in some ways it is worse now than when the"revitalization" started.) I don't have a high degree of confidence that the city will spend wisely any degree of increased revenue. I believe that the living quality factor of Tigard has decreased dramatically in the 30+years I have lived here. It isn't safe to walk - I have to drive everywhere. Since I don't have confidence in the spending of management, I won't vote for increasing taxes and am seriously considering moving out of the city. Show that they are cutting waste first.That always gets to vote for increased taxes. Open Ended Responses 18 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? Since I live in Beaverton school district and use Murrayhill library,you could annex us into the city of Beaverton. We live near Summer Lake but have always felt like we never have really been a part of Tigard. When our kids needed swim lessons,we paid out of district fees because our kids went to Beaverton schools. I feel like I'm part of the Beaverton community as we use Progress Ridge and Murrayhill businesses and services like the library. We live walking distance to Mary Woodward but my kids went to Nancy Riles, Conestoga, and Southridge schools.Tigard chose not to zone us in but literally our Nextdoor neighbors are in Tigard Schools. Granted,our kids probably went to better schools but most of their friends have always been in Murrayhill. The kids that live one block away were strangers to my kids. Spend it wisely! Make sure it has a lasting impact and use good evidence to guide choices. Spend money based on need. Where it is needed the most Spend money more wisely.Stop trying to build a Max line and tax marijuana more. Spend money that they have Spend money the way its supposed to be spent to begin with and there would be no need for more taxes Spend money wisely (6) Spend money wisely and allocate money,should go where needed Spend more wisely with what you already have. Spend on essential services not community and economic/downtown development/light rail. Raise property tax rate not more fees. Don't cut any library funding.Cut recreation instead. Get community volunteers more engaged in ongoing projects like community gardens/park maintenance. Spend wisely. Fix the problem with 99W Build the infrastructure first,so everyone can enjoy Tigard. Get your boundary issues fixed. Bull Mountain is a joke! Start licensing bicycles Stay in the budget Stop allowing houses/apartment complexes to be built. Look into doing what states like Texas do. If a developer wants to build a subdivision or apartment complex,THEY need to put money into building schools and improving things like roads.They should not be making money at the expense of our schools and citizens. Stop allowing so many people to move into the city and stop infringing on open spaces and etc.to build housing Stop being corrupted and do something that actually doesn't involve ripping people off Stop raising taxes Stop rezoning Stop spending so much money on parks on the walkability that no one cares about and spend more money on safety and Police that keep us safe. Open Ended Responses 19 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? Stop trying to modernize the downtown area and increase parking. Fix the streets (potholes). Reach out more for residents'opinions. Stop trying to push light rail. It's too expensive. Cut employees benefits costs if you want money for services Stop wasteful spending (3) Streamline some services so to keep the taxes low if you are going to raise them. Streets and Police are deplorable. Study other cities in the US to see how they are able to do more with the same amount. Study the data. Make wise choices from the data. Support good development, discourage undesirable uses and the money will flow in. Take care of the public safety Taking care of the most important first Tax more Taxes should be raised Taxes should be raised to keep services at current levels or improve services. Prioritize expenditures by focusing on those services that will benefit those most in need within the community. This includes library services (the people's university),walkability and accessibility to public transit.Although parks and recreation are important to quality of life,safety, health,and education are higher on the priority list. Tell me how much. Can't group together That our voice be heard, our opinion matters in city issues That's why I think business development is so important. We need to increase our tax base The advice would be to not waste money use money wisely. The City does a wonderful job serving its residents and businesses. I understand that additional services are, in some cases, necessary and in many cases, desirable. However, property taxes are a MAJOR burden as it is now. In 6 years in Tigard our taxes have increased by$1,000. If they go much higher we will consider selling our home. We do not have kids. Can property taxes be adjusted based on household makeup? I know that's an unusual idea, but it seems fair. The city needs affordable housing with a focus on making the entire town walkable. There are numerous opportunities wasted by building infrastructure which is focused on moving cars and big box stores.We need to think smaller with more areas of service. Zoning laws need to be adjusted to support walkable communities and small businesses which can serve the needs of the public without having to drive from one end of town to the other. The city needs to be more visionary. Whoever made the city's motto the Walking City has an agenda that does not serve as a goal worthy of its population. They probably also had the "vision"to color the monstrous plum colored art structures on the entrances into city center. Tigard needs to set its priority Open Ended Responses 20 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? on business development, preferably around the core of the city and Route 99. You are allowing storage units, used car lots, &similar business to take over prime locations rather than attracting"quality" restaurants, entertainment centers,grocery stores, etc.. You need a restaurant, cinema, entertainment, park core in center city that will attract customers and tax revenue. If you cause it to be built,they will come. Throw out a net for large scale developers to give their"free" insight for short- term tax benefit, and stop putting the burden of every improvement on the backs of homeowners. This is not a small town anymore. Stop thinking that way and get help. Certainly get some help on your next "art" installment. If you painted those two obnoxious pieces of"art" grey,they would qualify as remnants of the old USSR. The city needs to FIND A WAY for the UNINCORPORATED citizen to pay taxes to TIGARD since they use our SERVICES!!! The City needs to review, probably with more content-filled surveys,what are successful and unsuccessful services. Our current demographic will need to determine how the quality of living in our city will need to be improved,which of course comes with associate costs. The city should look very hard at how they use the funds they collect and eliminate the waste. Seems to me the city offices find more days to close then they do to remain open. The city should perform an internal city performance audit as recommended by councilor Woodard. We'd be willing to pay more if we had data to show our money is being used efficiently in city operations. Until that occurs people in my neighborhood will not support the city to raise revenues. The current level of service is what residents expect and deserve.The people should be taxed appropriately to fund the services they expect. The final advice would be to see what they are going to do.The big picture should be seen, The most pressing problem is the congestion on 99W. I don't know if the City has any involvement with this issue or whether it is Oregon ODOT's problem, but something needs to be done. Light rail?Add a few lanes? But all of the solutions come with problems of their own. It's hard enough to drive along 99W during peak hours, but with the construction of light rail or more lanes, it will be impossible! The population is growing so the tax should increase by an equal amount. The services will need an accountant for these fees. There are not enough quality services in Tigard. As soon as I can afford a new house, I will be moving to a neighboring town. There is enough money from current taxes and with population growth, means more people to pay taxes and more money There should be enough new revenue from the increased population with their property taxes. Sounds like city managers have failed to balance a budget. I don't buy the math presented in your problem statement. They are going to need to find creative ways They have enough money use the money for the right projects They have to figure out a way to pay for it without raising taxes Open Ended Responses 21 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? They have to fix it They need to better explain why they need more funds for city services They need to do more outreach to more as to why they need more income They need to fund with the money they have They need to learn to use what they've got They need to make taxes minimal to keep people happy and not just tax a lot They should do bond measure. They should look to cut costs first They should raise taxes in the way that every taxpayer pay a small amount equally, and businesses pay more to improve or maintain the same level of service They should work with the money that they have and make cuts if necessary.This is what most citizens have to do and government should do the same. I don't want to see endless tax increases or massive debt for Tigard. This is a difficult question. I have supported all the areas you have included in the survey, but I bet there are other areas not listed where cuts could be made. It may be that the cuts would need to be the same for all agencies/programs. I would love to see the city negotiate with the waste disposal companies for a different pickup schedule. As modeled in other metro areas: -garbage would continue weekly. - recycling to every two weeks, how many of us fill the recycling bin every week? I don't and I faithfully recycle. -yard debris weekly, I generate more yard debris most weeks than I do recycling.This is being done by other metro areas waste companies. This might cut the number of Leaf Recycling days that need to be staffed. This is a foolish argument,the increase in housing being built surely must be increasing revenue. If it truly is creating a burden on city services then the developers profiting from the new housing should be paying an impact fee. The city as a whole should not have to pay more taxes because more people are moving here. This is difficult. I live in what was one of the Islands (Walnut) in Tigard. As You know, after many unsuccessful attempts to have we,the citizens of this Island annexed by our vote, You annexed us on your own.Turns out,the reasons we didn't want to be annexed were all real. New fees, new higher taxes,and nothing, I repeat, nothing for that money, in return. In 40 years living in this house, I have never seen a police patrol car come around the block to see if we were still here. I had a pipe dream that since we'd been annexed,could we maybe get curbs and sidewalks? No! If not, maybe curbs and sidewalks down 121st Avenue? No! Overall, I can think of nothing we've received with annexation,so, forgive me if I'm not very charitable at all,where taxes are concerned. P.S. Once in 40 years,James street has been seal-coated. This survey sure looks like Tigard wants to raise taxes. 10% increase in residences means 10%increase in revenue. Stop spending. Cut wages. Cut expenses. Get the police to do their job.All crime including non-violent. Fix the roads. Add crosswalks and bike lanes. Clean the roads with the revenue you already take. Fix the roads (Hall Blvd). Stop buying new cars for your City employee club. Why did Tigard City Hall get a facelift? Because money management is not your strong point. We see you fixed the road in Open Ended Responses 22 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? front of your house. While Hall Blvd potholes and bad construction practices continue to trash our vehicles. We might need New Management in Tigard Tigard citizens have had to tighten our belts. If population has increased 10%,then collected taxes will have increased. First place to cut is any money or staff time being spent on the SW Corridor MAX project, until the necessary revenue is put up for a vote. Second place?To improve Tigard's bottom line is to make Tigard more business friendly,changing zoning to accommodate more business in the Tigard Triangle, instead of letting the land sit fallow while Tigard struggles. Tighten the budget Time to put those services out to public bid for local small business. Stop feeding the rich cronies. To be more careful as to how they spend,and I think they are. To continue to be mindful of what the people want To cut back on the non-essentials like parks and such To cut out less necessary services To help us To just stop asking for more money To maintain the current level and needs more improvement To make a balance tax increase to develop new businesses and not to impact individuals too greatly. Tax burden should be shared by businesses and individuals in a sustainable way. To manage the money they have better, and eliminate waste To operate more efficiently and review all programs To use the money wisely. Don't add more programs To work smarter Too bad we can't put up some toll booths on 217 &99W. Too much money is spent on the library and parks. They should have a hiring freeze- budget should be lowered. Public safety, road maintenance is more important. Find a way to charge people who use services.Water and Sewer is outrageously expensive and way out of line.Schools waste too much money. Parents should start paying more. Eliminate tenure for employees paid with taxpayer money. Try not to raise taxes Try to balance everything without too much disturbance. Try to cut waste first and that areas that need money should be getting it. Unfortunately, raise revenue. That being said, if low-income housing is the cause of the population increase, putting the responsibility on homeowners and business owners as opposed to renters would be unfair. Schools and mass transit and emergency services are needed by all residents. To attract families and businesses and permanent community members should be a goal. Open Ended Responses 23 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? Use money for right reasons Use money from new residents to pay for services. Use technology for efficiency and to make workers more productive. Use the money they have and don't raise taxes again Very satisfied as is. Water/sewer and garbage have all increased recently. I would not be thrilled to see increases to those. Plus I think our garbage service needs to increase to weekly yard debris. We already pay too much in taxes We are growing so I don't understand why they don't have the money We connect with community and should not raise more taxes We could stand a little more in taxes to improve We have a large population of citizens that rely on public services. Please keep their needs in mind when discussing budget proposals. We need to improve our infrastructure in our city first and for most before spending money on other needs. We need to keep things up We need to vote on it first We pay enough in taxes already,they won't use them for what they say the money is for. No more taxes. We pay more than enough taxes so there should be plenty of money for services We should do more of our own engineering work. It cost less for us to do our own CIP engineering than to hire it out to consultants. When the city adds charges to utility bills for things that are normally paid by taxes to avoid having to pass a levy or special tax it does not instill confidence regarding the use of funding. Where is the additional tax from new homes construction going?There should be additional taxes from new homes to cover new costs. Why can't you take care of your current families and businesses and make them strong before growing more. Make Tigard home again,safe,education, activities for children AND adults (family focused). When we are less in poverty THEN grow... Why didn't the tax base grow with the population increase? More building should mean more taxes collected. Why not use the additional revenue generated from the taxes from the 10% population increase? It seems to me that there is a disparity in the figures- 10% population increase and 6%decline in ability to fund services?Something doesn't add up. Also, if you're raising taxes, I'd like to see more sidewalks and Open Ended Responses 24 Telephone and Online Surveys The City of Tigard will need to cut services or raise revenue to continue to fund services at their current level. Knowing this,what would be your final advice to city leaders? better streets. Don't spend my tax money on MAX that my family will never use. I dislike living here due to lack of sidewalks. Wisely spend their money. With population growth,why hasn't revenue proportionately grown as well with more taxpayers? Raising taxes may be appropriate, but only after projecting a medium-to-long-term plan on how the money will be spent related to growth and needs Without knowing how the addition of 10% more in taxes has caused a 6%tax deficit it is hard to know what sort of advice there is to make to city leaders. I am not in favor of cutting services and am fine with paying to receive good service when it comes to all things,taxes certainly included.As long as I feel I am getting those services, I am amenable to the tax. Without knowing more about the City's budget and exactly how/where the money is spent I am unable to provide much of a response. I know the City has cut staff,eliminated 5 day work weeks at City Hall- and in my opinion seems to focus more on the library than anything else. To me the library seems to be the golden child. Work hard to make sure citizens understand the value they get from tax dollars in order to build support for needed funding. Working for an agency of Washington County, I see phenomenal amounts of spending/waste. Funds are spent on things far outside the realm of what the goal is. I think better management of revenue and accountability within all departments is paramount to successful management. City leaders are stewards of the people and their tax dollars. I think that philosophy gets lost on many. As more people move into Tigard,their taxes will help provide more revenue. So to say we need to raise taxes because of the city's growth isn't reasonable.The construction companies already pay high fees for permits to cover things like infrastructure development. Budget wisely! As for the next question, I voted for the gas tax because I didn't want my property taxes to increase more/again. It wasn't whether or not I WANTED a tax-- it was about HOW I wanted to pay it. Would support the Max light rail You guys are doing all right, but with all these new people coming in they should be paying more. You guys should raise taxes to make city services acceptable. You're going to have to raise taxes. Open Ended Responses 25 Telephone and Online Surveys (If"Voted against") Do you recall the most important reason that you voted against the gas tax? All of these types of tax increases add up incrementally and eventually the citizens and businesses get nickel and dimed to death. All the taxes Already pay enough in taxes Already too high. As mentioned in my previous response, I want to see more responsible use of taxpayers money before I agree to give the city more of my hard earned income. The "improvement" done on Main Street is an example of inappropriate use of money. I understand the need to make some changes/improvements to that area, but what was done was designed and planned poorly in my opinion, and money was spent on things that add no additional function, and honestly are not in any way aesthetically pleasing. Because everything is already too high. Because I did not know exactly how the money was to be spent. In my household, I know where every dollar goes(except taxes) and every dollar has a purpose. Because I feel like we pay a lot taxes as well. Because it would raise the price of gas and it did. Because one was already put in that we didn't vote on Because pay a lot in taxes and did not want that particular tax Because the gas prices are too high Because the money won't be spent on "key safety and street maintenance" it will go to crap and art as normal. Maybe more pensions and whatever. Know they will keep saying more, more, more money and nothing will get fixed.Just like that waste of money in Old Town Tigard. Because the price of gas would increase per gallon. Because they have been saying that the gas tax is for roads, but no improvements Because too much of it goes to bike paths Because we pay over 1%of the value of our home in the form of property taxes. Because we pay too much Buy my gas in Beaverton Cannot afford the tax Cost Cost of gas going up Cost of living is enough of a strain for many Did not want it to fund the light rail. Open Ended Responses 1 Telephone and Online Survey (If"Voted against") Do you recall the most important reason that you voted against the gas tax? Did not want to pay any more taxes Didn't know too much about it Didn't need it Didn't want it to go to light rail. Didn't want to pay more taxes,taxes are high enough Didn't want to raise the taxes Do not know if goes into general fund Do not like increasing taxes Don't believe the City has an efficient operation. Without proof of internal operation efficiency we feel those dollars would have been spent inefficiently. Don't need another tax. Every time a tax is added it never does what had been planned. Don't need to raise taxes Don't want more taxes Don't want to pay more Don't want to pay more Draining our pocket books.... The US government didn't think people on Social Security needed a raise but you keep raising fees and stealing from us. Live within your budget, we have too...!! Enough taxes Gas high enough (3) Gas is already high, if the City is taxing marijuana and have those funds to decide on what to spend on it,the city should spend that money on fixing and up keeping the roads. Gas is already taxed in Tigard. If I need gas while in the city of Tigard I just go up to the station across from Busters as it is Portland and no gas tax. I tell everyone I know not to buy gas in Tigard. Gas is already too expensive, rent is high and my budget is tight Gas is high enough (5) Gas taxes have been raised in the state and I haven't seen a difference in the roads. Don't have confidence there will be a change if the city raises taxes either. I am not going to voluntarily raise my own taxes. I feel I am far overtaxed already for the services I receive. I did not feel that the city would utilize the money appropriately I do not feel that the city of Tigard is entitled to it. It seems to be easier to grow budgets and services than to live within means. I have seen my property taxes continually climb since moving into Tigard. Sure,the services Open Ended Responses 2 Telephone and Online Survey (If"Voted against") Do you recall the most important reason that you voted against the gas tax? are nice and they look nice, but given the choice I would rather see the city work on extending the value of the revenues collected instead of ever seeking new avenues to collect revenue. I don't see our roads improving I don't think we need to raise tax on gas. I don't understand where my money goes now so I don't want to give more. I don't want to pay more in taxes I don't want to raise on gas. I feel like it is a slush fund, it will go to wherever they need it to go. I feel like these high profile issues are always used to get more money when they should be a high priority already. Not like last choice unless you pay more. (The constant threat of closing the library on Thursdays again is another example of this hostage-taking method) I haven't had an income raise for three years. I don't drive over five thousand miles per year but every dollar counts and do not think the city would use it wisely. Dig up, repair?Dig-up, repair? Lack of co-ordination. I live on Bull Mountain and pay$7,400 a year in real estate taxes and I think that is too high.Yes, I believe the whole tax system in Oregon needs an overhaul and I would be in favor a sales tax if, and only if, all taxes in Oregon are reviewed. I pay enough in taxes for Tigard I pay too many taxes for already I think it was too high I think taxes are high enough. Cut red tape and spend the money you already have more wisely. Our incomes are not increasing, but taxes are.When citizens need more money to make ends meet we work harder and cutback spending. Why should the city do any different? I think Tigard already has high enough taxes I thought the city did not need the tax I thought they are not allocating the money properly I watched how they wasted the money on turn signals I will pay my fair share when the UNINCORPORATED CITIZENS pay taxes to the City of Tigard. I'd like to see where my current taxes are going. It seems like our police and safety teams are well funded (which is good) but where is the rest going? I'll keep that to myself I'm against taxes period Open Ended Responses 3 Telephone and Online Survey (If"Voted against") Do you recall the most important reason that you voted against the gas tax? I'm pretty sure gas taxes we already pay should fund this. This is an existing problem with existing gas taxes the construction companies who cut the road should be held responsible for that section of a road for at least five years. It doesn't tax all the thousands of people who travel to and through Tigard on a daily bases unless they purchase gas in our community. It raises tax It was a far too substantial tax with a weak argument/case of support, and lacked a detailed explanation of what exactly the dollars went toward. It was only going to be us who pays it on a regular basis. There is enough tax money to go around already. If you can't make it work, cut the fat off the system. Stop throwing money at lost ventures. Commuter Trains for instance? You already burned us with the$3.75 parks fee that no one could vote on. Clever. It's not fair to Tigard gas station owners because gas stations outside of Tigard are so close. People will just drive a little further to buy their gas. Just don't believe raising taxes for everything Just had a new gas tax Just not needed Just retired on a fixed income. Keep raising my taxes Lack in trust in efficient in city government Level of street quality was good, not needed Living here is already quite expensive; did not want to add another potential cost. Living on fixed income Low income Money wasn't going too the right services More taxes Most of the gas stations here are used by other localities My taxes go up more than my income I have to budget and wisely use money and I believe our city should also start collecting a user fee/registration fee for bicyclists since they are part of our roadway system Maybe that will make up the shortfall. No city should be raising any taxes No confidence that the funding would be used solely for the stated purpose, and because other communities adjoining Tigard don't have the tax. That would put Tigard businesses selling gas at a disadvantage. Open Ended Responses 4 Telephone and Online Survey (If"Voted against") Do you recall the most important reason that you voted against the gas tax? No matter how much money the city gets, it's never enough.The city needs to get more employees with a financial background and cut the"dead wood" out of the employee pool.Also I am a senior and there are a lot of other people that cannot afford all add-on taxes and fees.The city wastes money. Change that first. No money left for me.You all take little bites and soon it's all gone. No more taxes (6) No real understanding of the issue No taxes Not certain what it was going for Not clearly understood how it would work Not effective. Not needed Not satisfied with how funds have been spent. Why haven't gas taxes been used for services already? Surely with the increase in population there has been an increase in gas usage,so therefore more revenue has come in to the city. Opposed to tax increases. I think the city and counties should be managing the budget better. Oregon already has increased gas prices due to the forced pump attendant. Tigard's construction on Walnut has taken much longer than originally anticipated/reported. I'm not happy with how tax dollars are currently being spent and I've lost confidence in the City's spending. Original gas fee never removed. When do fees and taxes stop? Did not handle that gas fee properly when it was voted down as tax a few years ago. Other cities do not have it Pay enough already Pay way too much taxes already Paying too much Probably it was a tax Problem is way bigger Roads that are awful, I have seen no improvements Same as everyone else. Gas is high enough.A three-cents per gallon tax was voted on several years ago and had a sunset clause built in. But, it's still there State of Oregon gas tax goes into general fund instead of road services Steep increase Stop raising taxes Open Ended Responses 5 Telephone and Online Survey (If"Voted against") Do you recall the most important reason that you voted against the gas tax? Takes business out of town Taxes are already too high for the services rendered. Taxes are high enough Taxes are high enough already Taxes in the city are squandered The addition of the Costco gas station must have greatly increased the gas tax revenue already. People are gas price sensitive. If Tigard gas prices get too high,they will buy it in Beaverton or wherever it's cheapest,which would reduce overall gas tax revenue for Tigard. The city is a bottomless tax-ask pit that doesn't help my family. If you want to help people like me, ask me to support a recreation building my whole family can use and has toddler care and swimming. Otherwise I'd rather fund another city's recreation program to provide an affordable and safe place our whole family can enjoy. Currently I'm looking to move out of Tigard to get closer to a family recreation center and cut our city tax burden. The cost is high enough There has been a seeming ignorance of road/traffic problems in Tigard while light rail and public transportation are always the talk of the town. I had a hard time voting for an increase in gas tax without a tangible plan to address the traffic problem for vehicles. There is already a considerable gas tax in the Tigard area. I believed that these funds were not being used effectively. There was something else attached to it, maybe Max,that I didn't like. Thought it was too high of a tax Tigard already has a high gas tax.The roads are not properly maintained with what has been taxed in previous years. To encourage finding funds elsewhere. Too expensive Too high Too many taxes (4) Users would stop going to gas stations in Tigard (they would choose nearby cities with no extra tax). Wasn't needed Waste of money We already pay a street fee in our utility bill. We cannot afford more taxes and more gas costs. It's a hardship. We don't need more taxes Open Ended Responses 6 Telephone and Online Survey (If"Voted against") Do you recall the most important reason that you voted against the gas tax? We have a liberal governor. He is a crook. We have enough taxes We pay enough, no more taxes We pay high enough already We're already paying a lot in taxes Won't use it the way they say they will. Yes-there has been poor accountability in Tigard's use of current gas taxes. For example:Why were gas tax funds used for road improvements to accommodate Walmart?Why did the city put Walmart interests ahead of their citizens?And now you want to nearly triple the gas tax? Yes you have increased the tax at least once and it should not be something you raise any time you want more of the tax payers money.Think out of the box. Come up with something new for road &street repair. Yes, as previously stated earlier in this survey,the added people on our streets brings us economic benefit from which taxes collected should be sufficient to support improvements. Loading select businesses with a unique tax is inequity at best, on no terms can I agree with this. Yes, because I don't want to pay more to get from Point A to Point B. Yes,vividly. Higher taxes, zero confidence in getting a single thing in return. And of all the roads in the Metro area, I'm confident that Tigard is near the top for maintenance and condition. Yes. Fuel prices were low at the time, and Tigard thought people wouldn't mind if we paid a little more at the pump. But fuel prices tend to go up. Also,Tigard tax dollars are often wasted on road improvements that don't need to be made. You take and don't help my family. Give my kids some organized sports I can afford. God knows the schools aren't helping. They just keep taking activities away. If schools won't help you can help by offering more kid- teen recreation after school activities. Open Ended Responses 7 Telephone and Online Survey AIS-2894 5. Workshop Meeting Meeting Date: 02/21/2017 Length (in minutes): 30 Minutes Agenda Title: External Financial Audit & CAFR Presentation with Moss Adams Submitted By: Liz Lutz, Finance and Information Services Item Type: Update, Discussion, Direct Staff Meeting Type: Council Workshop Mtg. Public Hearing: No Publication Date: Information ISSUE Present to the City Council the results of the annual external financial audit. The presentation will include recommendations for opportunities for improvement noted by Moss Adams during the course of the audit. STAFF RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUEST N/A KEY FACTS AND INFORMATION SUMMARY Moss Adams, city's external audit firm, performed an audit of the City's financial operations for fiscal year ending June 30, 2016. Their reports are included in the city's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and the City Center Development Agency financial report. Moss Adams will provide an overview of audit procedures performed and highlight areas with opportunities for improvement or best practices. OTHER ALTERNATIVES COUNCIL GOALS, POLICIES, APPROVED MASTER PLANS DATES OF PREVIOUS COUNCIL CONSIDERATION N/A AIS-2917 6. Workshop Meeting Meeting Date: 02/21/2017 Length (in minutes): 60 Minutes Agenda Title: Tigard Triangle Lean Code Update Submitted By: Cheryl Caines, Community Development Item Type: Update, Discussion, Direct Staff Meeting Type: Council Workshop Mtg. Public Hearing: No Publication Date: Information ISSUE The legislative process to adopt the Tigard Triangle code and zoning amendments will begin in mid-2017. This will be the first of three briefings to inform council members of proposed changes. STAFF RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUEST Update. KEY FACTS AND INFORMATION SUMMARY Staff has completed a draft of the Tigard Triangle code revisions to develop a lean, form-based code that promotes the development of a walkable neighborhood while lessening code regulations and permit processing timelines. The purpose is to encourage entrepreneurs to make small, incremental changes alongside large scale development by real estate development professionals. This is important as the Tigard Triangle Strategic Plan (TTSP) is a long range plan for transforming the Triangle. Even small changes will contribute to making the Triangle a place where shoppers,workers and Tigard citizens want to spend time or make their home. The proposed Tigard Triangle code focuses on what is experienced from the street— (the area known as the public realm) while providing more freedom for how a site is designed. Although the current Development Code is set up to regulate how uses in close proximity impact each other, the proposed code does not regulate buffers between uses and would not regulate changes of use as long as the new use is allowed within the zone. Many previously unresolved issues such as parking, stormwater, street improvements, and tree regulations have been addressed or are nearing resolution. We've begun testing the draft code on sites within the Triangle, and sharing the draft with the City Attorney, Triangle property owners, developers, and development professionals. Staff will continue to make edits to the draft code as feedback is received. The public hearing process is scheduled to begin in May 21017. Although the code is lean and easy to follow, it is a different style of code; therefore staff will be briefing the Planning Commission and City Council over the next three months to prepare for the upcoming adoption hearing process. In this first briefing we will address: • What is lean and why it is important to the success of the Triangle? • What does a lean code regulate or not regulate? • What are we still working on? • Schedule OTHER ALTERNATIVES Not applicable. COUNCIL GOALS, POLICIES, APPROVED MASTER PLANS 2016 City Council Goal #3 (Adopt Tigard Triangle Strategic Plan and enable future development capacity). Tigard Strategic Plan Goals #1 - Facilitate walking connections to develop an identity. #2 - Ensure development advances the vision. DATES OF PREVIOUS COUNCIL CONSIDERATION March 2015: Staff completed the Tigard Triangle Strategic Plan (TTSP) August 2015: Staff briefed the City Council and Planning Commission on the Lean Code December 2015: Staff briefed Council on the Lean Code September 2016: Staff briefed Council on Urban Renewal and the Lean Code Attachments AIS 2917 Presentation City ofTigard Respect and Care I Do the Right Thing I Get it Done Tigard Triangle Strategic Plan .: . .... .7 ,.x N s ..,,,,, . ,,• , ,, _ , . . . 4 f Code and Zoning .,..,, ,,,,ia . _. ' Ai; :. :: Amendments - 'i---i'l,__,*,‘,,,,..s; „', Ai — ''''. '1,' -'-' . Ilq ';- iy ,'4 1(,AxU >a' 4 TIGA ` w, • .. February, !• - • City Council Brietir TI(, 1;;,, ■ City ofTigard F\-- 99W The Riddle of illisiiii0the Triangle 417 4 � � v • City ofTigard What is lean and why in the Triangle ? , i.j. .% ,c,,,,../.....,,„ ,..... __ _ ....,.....„.„, ......._4 Wm. ,11,,gitirefia,,,410.- ,* , ic.,.._;.. --.---."•' ,�, • ' II ;I � 3 p.�� `/ 1��,\' � :11�'r III" .. 111 °li /y THcUEN � 1 V 1 ii li t s Alin 14 .!��• r . A 4 1 littit 01'4,1, lh T 1 _..t Small changes make impacts to the area. City ofTigard .. r \XThat NM JIM it , .. NM r• 111111 •does the .. ■ .f*^ :, code l .: .. jib 01'......`" '.ri\ regulate? . .. , .... . -- _,,,,,, 7 : ' 1 . ' 71.11111;s: M Focus on public realm and experience from the street. City ofTigard What are we still working on? • Opportunities for staff, attorney, and public review • Code edits based on feedback • Traffic Analysis • Transportation System Plan amendments City ofTigard Schedule • February - April 2017 — Briefings • May 2017 — Hearing Process Begins • August 2017 — Code Adoption SUPPL�MNTAL PACKET FORS a• /7 i�d (0 (DATE OF MEETING) U rban3 Asheville Walmart 1 '� � -- Alb in, li "....,7 if _-j • -*_ _ lit Land Consumed (Acres): 34.0 00.2 Total Property Taxes/Acre: $ 6,500 $634.000 _ City Retail Taxes/Acre: $ 47,500 $ 83,600 Residents per Acre: 0.0 90.0 Jobs per Acre: 5.9 13.7 CountyProperty Taxes/Acre Urban Joseph Minmoui,AICP Ratio Difference of 36 City Sample Set, in 15 States(+a Province) • Residential $274.00 Commercial Mixed-Use $95.00 $47.80 $1.00 $5.50 $6.70 $9.30 County S-F City S-F Walmart Mall or strip Mixed-Use Mixed-Use Mixed-Use (2 Story) (3 Story) (6 Story)