07/2017 Mayor's Corner JULY 2017
Message from the Mayor
Funding of City Services
The property taxes you pay each year help to fund the day-to-day costs of running your
city... and are the heart of our budget. They make up about 49 percent of our total
appropriations each year, and cover police, library, community events, infrastructure and
more.
Here in Tigard our permanent operating tax rate is $2.51 per $1,000 of assessed value. It is
the second lowest among the surrounding cities in Washington County. But did you know
that only about 17 percent of your property taxes go to the City of Tigard? It is true. The
rest of the money goes to other vital community services like our schools, Washington
County government services (public safety, road improvements, libraries, elections, public
health, etc.), and Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue.
Believe me, there is a certain amount of sticker shock when I look at my own property tax
bill each year. This, then, leads to some reflection of where we live and that we have
excellent schools, a police department that keeps us safe and provides a variety of
important community services, beautiful parks and trails, a great library, and events to
help us connect and make Tigard a great community.
And speaking of events... this summer we have a lot of fun activities scheduled, like Pop-Up
in the Parks every Wednesday in July and Movies in the Park coming in August. There will
also be a series of get-togethers we are calling Budget and Brews. These will be informal
conversations—over coffee or other beverages—about city services, service delivery and
funding sources; they are designed to open a dialogue about sustainable solutions for our
budget situation.
You will find the Budget and Brews schedule on our website, and I hope you will join us for
one—or all—of these events!
My next "Fireside Chat with the Mayor" is on July 13, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Symposium
Coffee, 12345 SW Main St.
My July quote of the month is from B.F. Skinner, "Education is what survives when what we
have learned has been forgotten."